«Krasny Oktyabr» Volgograd, Russia vs. «Nymburk» Nymburk, Czech Republic

Krasny Oktyabr stunned Nymburk in overtime at home, 96-88. The Lions pulled away in the second half and appeared to have the game sewed up in the final seconds. But D.J. Cooper would not lose, hitting a wild shot at the buzzer, then leading his men to victory in the overtime.

Intro
Krasny Oktyabr had won two straight and hoped to reward the fans with another win in Volgograd. Nymburk, meanwhile, entered with a 6-1 record, flying high in 2nd place.

Led by Jordan Hamilton, Oktyabr led by double digits midway through the 1st quarter. Nymburk responded with better defense and cut the deficit to four points after 10 minutes.

Krasny Oktyabr controlled the momentum in the 2nd quarter. The home team scored 25 points in the period, running up a seven-point lead at halftime, 43-36.

It didn't take long for Nymburk to go in front. An 8-0 run to open the second half, including six points from Howard Sant-Roos, gave the Czechs a 44-43 lead.

Krasny Oktyabr responded with a 14-1 run, sparked by two 3's from D.J. Cooper. Nymburk, nonetheless, finished the quarter strong, closing the deficit to one point, 66-65, entering the final period.

After the 3rd quarter fireworks, neither team put up big numbers in the 4th. Multiple lead changes made for a dramatic finish...entering the final minute of play, the score was tied, 80-80.

With 15 seconds left to play, Michael Dixon put Nymburk on top by three, 85-82. On the following possession, Jordan Hamilton turned the ball over, giving the ball back to the visitors. Forced to foul, Oktyabr sent De Zeeuw to the line for two huge free throws. An 85% free-throw shooter, De Zeeuw missed both, handing the home team a lifeline.

With a second left on the clock, Cooper was fouled, giving him two free throws with a three-point deficit to make up. The American guard made the first, then missed the second on purpose, swooping in for a putback at the buzzer to send the game to overtime!

Turning Point
After the miracle escape, Krasny Oktyabr took care of business in the extra period. The home team scored the first nine points of overtime, crushing Nymburk's hopes. Cooper continued to excel, handing out three assists and scoring four points. The win is Oktyabr's third straight and lifts Volgograd into a tie for 8th in the standings.

Star of the Game
D.J. Cooper. The American guard bailed out his team in the final second, then led them to victory in the extra period. He finished the game with 24 points, seven rebounds, 14 assists and three steals.

Stat of the Game
41:20 - Cooper hardly left the floor against Nymburk.

Quotes
Krasny Oktyabr head coach Kirill Bolshakov:
- First of all, we didn't expect they would be missing their starting center. We built our defensive game plan around stopping him. The rest of Nymburk's team is athletic and can shoot the ball. Sokolov had a tough time against them. Second, there were a lot of swings. We led by 15, then trailed by three. But while I could understand the first run we gave up, during the second Nymburk run our leaders made bizzare mistakes. Happily, the guys pulled themselves together and won a very tough game.

Nymburk head coach Ronen Ginzburg:
- The game was very uneven. We both led at different times. We had a good chance to win at the end, but didn't hit our free throws. It happens in basketball. We ran out of energy in the overtime. Emotionally, we were drained. The outcomes of games like these must be divinely decided.

Stats

Snapshot