Ventspils Snatch Quarters Berth In OT

Guard/forward Jahmar Young, who stayed on the floor for 42 minutes, led all Ventspils scorers with 25 points

BK Ventspils came roaring back to force overtime and then edged out Roanne Basket to snatch a place in the quarter-finals of the EuroChallenge.

The two teams began the night as part of a three-way tie at the top of Group I with Roanne sat on top and Ventspils third, but the Latvians turned that around with a 94-92 win.

But they did it the hard way after falling behind late in regulation.

The game was tied 60-60 following Steven Gray's jump-shot with 3:50 to go, but back-to-back three-pointers from John Holland and Dylan Page put Roanne out in front.

After another jumper from Gray, Holland hit back and added a free-throw following a foul from Martins Meiers to make it 69-62.

The lead was eight, 73-65, with 30 ticks left after a pair of free throws from Uchenna Nsonwu, but Ventspils were not ready to give up.

After Jahmar Young and Arturs Berzins nailed three-pointers, the gap was 75-73 with 10 seconds left.

Rashad Wright edged Roanne clear with free throws, but Young's three-pointer made it a one-point game with five ticks left.

Mouloukou Diabate's free throws again gave Roanne breathing space, but with one second left, Abernathy made a free throw.

He deliberately missed the second and, although Mamadi Diane missed a tip-in chance, the ball fell for Ronalds Zakis to force the extra period.

Roanne got themselves in front once again in the extra period and were up 84-81 on Nsonwu's lay-up.

But a 6-0 Ventspils spurt turned it around before Holland's three-pointer tied it 87-87 with 75 seconds left.

The teams were locked together 92-92 with six seconds left after an Nsonwu lay-up, but Abernathy kept his cool to win it from the free-throw line.

Young led Ventspils with 25 points while Abernathy had 18.

Diane added 13, Gray 11 and Meiers 10.

Nsonwu had 28 points in the losing cause for Roanne, while Holland added 21 and Page 17.

Quotes BK Ventspils vs. Roanne Basket

Roanne Basket Head Coach Luka Pavicevic
"First of all I want to congratulate Ventspils with the win. At the end of the fourth quarter we lost the focus of the game, and that way we also lost the 7-8 point advantage. Ventspils used our turnovers and made three crucial three-pointers."

BK Ventspils Head Coach Gundars Vetra
"I just want to say that you always watch a game until the end. We were playing like a team. We are a team. We have an attitude right now that led us to a big and important victory. I said to my players in the locker room: ‘You as a team have guts!'"

Roanne Basket player John Holland
"This is a heartbreaking loss. We came here determined to win but it turned out to be just like last week in Oldenburg. We did everything we could. This is how basketball is. Sometimes the ball rolls out of the basket, sometimes it rolls in. This time it rolled in."

BK Ventspils player Ronalds Zaķis
"It was a fantastic and tough game. We tied the game after trailing by 7-8 points. We believed, the fans believed, and we made it."