Cedevita rallies past Arka to Top 16!
Cedevita Zagreb qualified for the Top 16 from Group B with a difficult 94-87 home victory over visiting Arka Gdynia on Wednesday. Cedevita raised its record to 5-3, while Arka fell to 1-7 was eliminated from Top 16 contention. Justin Cobbs exploded for 28 points for the winners and dished 7 assists, to boot. Jacob Pullen followed him with 18 points, while Marko Banic and Andrija Stipanovic tallied 12 each. Josh Bostic had 4 triples and 25 points for Arka, which led by a point after three quarters, while Robert Upshaw added 14 and James Florence 11.
Jakub Garbacz hit 2 quick threes and Deividas Dulkys another as Arka shot ahead by 6 points before James Bell got Cedevita within 18-19 after one quarter. The hosts found their rhythm midway through the second, as Banic, Elgin Cook and Pullen filled a 7-0 run to a 34-28 lead. Stipanovic joined the resurgence with 5 points of his own as Cedevita pulled into halftime ahead 44-34. Arka rallied to within 51-45 after the break behind Garbacz and Upshaw before Adam Lapeta completed the comeback with back-to-back dunks at 53-54. Back and forth they went until Bostic's incredible triple left the visitors up 63-64 after 30 minutes. Pullen took back the lead to open the fourth, but Upshaw and Bostic kept Arka close until Cobbs and Pullen made it 82-71 with under 5 minutes left. Only Upshaw scored for Arka over the next 3 minutes while Ivan Ramljak nailed a triple and Cobbs made it 90-75 to put the outcome, and Cedevita's Top 16 return, beyond doubt.
Back to the Top 16
Wednesday was Cedevita's third straight win after having beaten Limoges CSP and ALBA Berlin. It was good enough to put the club in the Top 16 for the fourth time in a row – separated by a EuroLeague season in which it made the Top 16, as well.
The decider
Justin Cobbs broke Cedevita's club record with 11 two-pointers made among his 28 points. The old record was set in 2010. Over the last three games, he is averaging 21.6 points and 28.6 in PIR.
A lot was not enough
Arka's Josh Bostic played all but 37 seconds of the game, scoring 28 points to go with 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals for a PIR of 38. His index rating and scoring were club records for Arka in its 11th EuroCup season since 2003.
Next round
Cedevita visits Group B leader Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnondar when the 7DAYS EuroCup returns in Round 9 on December 12. Arka will take the measure of ALBA Berlin in its last home game on December 11.
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Eurocupbasketball.com