ratiopharm Ulm pulled off a shock win at Bourg to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs.
Ulm holds off Bourg to clinch top-four finish

German champion ratiopharm Ulm ground out an impressive 81-85 win at Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in Round 18 of the BKT EuroCup regular season, securing a top-four finish in Group B and with it, home-court advantage in eighthfinals. Bourg dropped to 14-4 while Ulm improved to 10-8. Bourg, which had earlier clinched the group’s top spot, lost its unbeaten home record after coming close to overhauling an 18-point deficit in a dramatic finish.
Trevion Williams, who sealed Ulm’s win with a pair of free throws in the dying seconds of the game, paced the visitors with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Pacome Dadiet added 15 points while Karim Jallow chipped in with 10 points and 5 rebounds for Ulm. At the other end, Zaccharie Risacher scored a game-high 20 points for Bourg, while Hugo Benitez netted 13 and Alex Julien amassed 10 for the home side which fell short against a disciplined visiting team.
Game Videos
Ulm grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck from the start and led throughout, having stunned Bourg with quick movement of the ball on offense coupled with energetic defense which saw the visitors race into a 17-27 lead at the end of the first quarter. The German team kept its momentum and held a 42-52 advantage at halftime.
The margin grew to 52-70 late in the third quarter before an 8-0 run by the home side slashed Bourg’s deficit to 60-70 heading into the final period. Risacher led Bourg’s charge in the fourth as the youngster mixed slam dunks with downtown shooting to get the hosts back on track.
Battling Bourg looked like turning the contest on its head when it closed the gap to 80-81 in the final minute, with the passionate home crowd roaring on the French side. However, Ulm kept its nerve down the stretch and Williams made no mistake from the foul line late on, giving the German side a priceless victory.