Unicaja escapes from Bamberg with victory

Brose Baskets Bamberg missed a pair of three-point shots to tie the game in the final seconds before Unicaja escaped from Stechert Arena with a 65-68 victory on Thursday. The win lifted Unicaja to 4-4 to remain in fifth place in Top 16 Group E, while Bamberg remained winless. Bamberg had rallied from 16 down in the fourth quarter to within 1 on a Sharrod Ford basket with a minute and a half to go. Then Ford and Bostjan Nachbar both had contested threes in the closing seconds to tie the game, but missed and Unicaja ran off with the win. Luka Zoric scored 10 points in the first quarter to give Unicaja a slim lead. Threes from Txemi Urtasun and Sergi Vidal helped the visitors take a 10-point halftime lead. It peaked at 17 before Bamberg’s late rally. Zoric finished with 27 points for the winners, Urtasun added 15 and Vidal 12. Earl Calloway collected 10 rebounds for Unicaja. Nachbar paced Bamerg with 17 points, Ford scored 13 and Anton Gavel 10.