By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Armani Milano failed to beat Cedevita by 10+ points (82-85) and the Croatians qualified to the top-16 for the first time in their history. This was the third victory for the winners (3-6), whereas the hosts suffered their fifth defeat (4-5), however they secured their presence in the next phase.
For Armani Milano, Robbie Hummel was tremendous with 21 points and eight rebounds, as three more players were in double digits. On the other hand, Miro Bilan had 23 points for the losing squad, with Marko Arapovic adding 16, on 3 for 4 from the three-point range.
In the first quarter, the match was close (6-8), but the visitors enhanced their performance on both ends of the floor, made a 6-12 run and took an eight-point advantage (12-20). The hosts couldn’t come back and Armani Milano was in front by seven after 10 minutes in the game (18-25). Later, the situation didn’t change much, as the Italians had complete control of the game and extended their lead to double digits (23-34, 26-40). Cedevita couldn’t fight back and, consequently, the first half ended with Jasmine Repesa’s team in front by 14 (31-45).
In the second half, the Croatians made a great start and quickly cut the deficit to five points (45-50), with a 14-5 run, executing very well on both ends of the floor. However, Armani Milano’s players remained solid, made a 6-13 run of their own and brought the lead back to double digits (51-63), as the third quarter closed with the visitors having a nine-point advantage (57-66). In the last quarter, Armani Milano retained their lead (59-69, 66-79), however the hosts made a last effort to come back and were down by just two, 30 seconds before the end of the game (80-82). The Italians, though, stood tall and claimed the victory (82-85), which wasn’t enough to keep them alive in the battle of qualification.