06.11.2007

Dnipro Stun Timisoara With Late Comeback

Viktor Kobzystyy's free throw with two seconds left gave BC Dnipro an 82-71 victory over Elba Timisoara and a place in the EuroCup's Elimination Round 2.

Trailing by 10 points after the first leg, the free throw capped a terrific fightback by the Ukrainian team while Elba will now have to wonder where it all went wrong.

		Milos Pesic had 11 points and four assists in a losing effort for Elba Timisoara.

Dnipro needed a 10-1 run in the final two minutes to win 146-145 on aggregate.

The 2007 EuroCup Challenge semi-finalists will next play Proteas EKA AEL in the second round.

Kobzystyy led the way with 23 points and seven rebounds while Dmytro Markov added 10 and nine for Dnipro, who used their size advantage to out-rebound Timisoara 45-23.

The Romanians were shocked by the late run and go home despite Brice Kabengele Kalala leading four players in double figures with 14 points, Uros Velickovic added 13 and five steals.

Khizhniak's three-point play gave Dnipro their first serious push, an 11-6 lead.

Timisoara would not let the Ukrainians pull away and Velickovic and Milos Pesic both hit three-pointers in the final minute for a 22-19 lead after one period.

Dnipro scored the first eight points of the second and opened a 30-24 gap on Kobzystyy's long jumper.

Kabengele Kalala twice answered with treys of his own in keeping the Romanians in striking distance, down 34-30.

Dnipro had pushed the lead back up to eight points but it was just 42-38 at the break.

The Ukrainians went ahead 49-38 on Volodymyr Koval's jumper midway through the third only to see Kabengele and Pesic hit long shots to cut the deficit to 49-46.

Pesic gave Timisoara the lead 52-51 on a free throw with 45 seconds to play in the third.

Dnipro, however, were ahead 56-52 going into the fourth.

The Romanians opened the final period on a 9-2 run and stayed close for the next few minutes, trailing 72-70 with two minutes left.

Olexandr Berkhin's three-pointer competed a Dnipro 7-2 surge for a 79-71 lead with just 53 seconds to play.

Timisoara's Vladimir Colic missed two foul shots with 40 seconds left and Oleksandr Panchenko knocked down a jumper to make it 81-71 with 14 ticks left - which left the teams even on aggregate.

Milos Nisavic missed a three-pointer with two seconds left, which was rebounded and set up Kobzystyy's foul shots - of which he made just the second.

Velickovic's late-second three-pointer was off-target to seal the win for Dnipro.