RETAbet downs Partizan, promotes Limoges

Previously-eliminated RETAbet Bilbao Basket snapped its six-game losing streak by beating Partizan NIS Belgrade on the road 67-83 on Wednesday night in the Serbian capital. With RETAbet holding 2-6 record and Partizan at 1-7 in Group C, the outcome of this game also eliminated Partizan and promoted Limoges CSP into the Top 16. RETAbet led for the majority of the night and, after Partizan used a strong start to the third quarter to go up 43-40, the visitors answered with 0-12 run, broke the game open and cruised to victory. Lucio Redivo led the RETAbet with 20 points and Mickell Gladness had 15, Ricardo Fischer added 12 and Axel Hervelle collected 11 points plus 9 rebounds for the winners. Nigel Williams-Goss had 18 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for Partizan and Novica Velickovic scored 13 in defeat.

Williams-Goss had a par of triples that quickly helped Partizan take an 8-2 early lead, but Alex Mumbru hit from downtown for the visitors and Gladness scored inside, before Dejan Todorovic hit one from close range and one from long range to give RETAbet an 11-15 edge. Partizan went to the free throw line often, but the visitors kept the lead with Redivo scoring a pair to close the first, and two more baskets to open the second quarter before Javi Salgado hit back-to-back triples to help open a 21-34 advantage. The hosts were held without a field goal for more than six minutes to start the second quarter before Aleksandar Aranitovic nailed a triple and Nikola Tanaskovic had a fastbreak dunk. RETAbet went into halftime up 30-38.

Velickovic opened the second half with a three-point play, and Mihajlo Andric had a basket-plus-foul, too. Patrick Miller nailed a tough jumper, and Williams-Goss went coast-to-coast for another three-point play that put Partizan up 43-40. However, the visitors scored the next 12 points in a run fueled by Redivo and Fischer. Obrad Tomic and Miller helped the hosts get within 49-53 at the end of the third, but that is as close as Partizan got. Fischer opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer and Redivo hit a jumper and had a fastbreak layup. Gladness scored inside and Hervelle from outside to make it 50-65 with 6:17 to go. Velickovic and Tomic had tip-ins, but Hervelle hit another triple, Gladness had a pair of easy dunks, and Redivo’s triple sealed the outcome.