Montenegro survives comeback to stay unbeaten in EB

The Slovak Republic reminded the unbeaten squad from Montenegro why basketball games are played in their entirety, amazing comebacks have been known to happen… The hosts found themselves down by 19 late in the third quarter of their Group A EuroBasket Qualifier 2013 in Levice, and fought their way back to a three-point deficit with under four minutes to play, only to have Montenegro find the basket again and take their fifth victory of the Qualifier. The loss keeps the Slovak Republic winless in their first five games.

The two squads played evenly throughout the first quarter, with the visiting Montenegro up by three, 23-20. Michal Batka gave the SR the lead with 8:16 to play in the half with a drive in the lane for a lay-up, 24-23. With 3:59 on the clock Dusan Pandula drove hard down the lane for a basket bringing the score to 29-28, Montenegro. Vladimir Dasic nailed a three-ball a few seconds later to start a 9-0 run that would give the visitors a 38-28 margin with 2:37 in the half. Montenegro got the last seven points of the half to take a 47-32 margin to the locker room.
With 2:02 in left in the third quarter, Montenegro had built a 19-point advantage, 67-48. The Slovakians cut the lead to 13 by sinking two free throws and to lay-ups over the next minute of play, 67-54, 1:00. Suad Sehovic hit a three with 43 seconds on the clock, which was countered by a lay-up by Anton Gavel to send the game to the final quarter with Montenegro up by 14, 70-56.
With 7:08 to play, Blagota Sekulic dropped in two free throws to put the visitors up 75-62. The Slovak Republic squad proceeded to hit consecutive lay-ups, then four free throws in a row, to cut the lead to five, 75-70 with 5:44 to play. Milko Bjelica split a pair of free throws for Montenegro and Pandula did the same the next time down the court for the Slovakians. Batka dropped in a deuce to bring SR to within four, 77-73. Nikola Ivanovic connected on two free throws to push the margin to 79-73, but Gavel’s three-ball brought the Slovak Republic to within three, 79-76. Again, Montenegro started finding the net and went on a 15-5 run through the last four minutes of the game to give the visitors a perfect 5-0 record in Group A, while the Slovakians drop to 0-5.
Sehovic led Montenegro with 16 points, Bjelica added 15, Sekulic dumped in 14, and Dubljevic and Ivanovic contributed 13 each.
Gavel paced the hosts with 23 points and 10 rebounds, Pandula added 20 points, Batka contributed 14, and Roman Vido scored 10 for the Slovakians.