Bamberg 67-86 UCAM Murcia: Forrest leads comeback as UCAM remains unbeaten
UCAM Murcia started the game as if they hadn't traveled. Down 14-2 after six minutes with Bamberg hitting everything from three, they left Germany 34 minutes later with a 67-86 victory, their second win in two Basketball Champions League matchdays. Michael Forrest was the star: 25 points off the bench and 4-of-5 from three.
The comeback began with the second unit. Sito Alonso brought in Ennis, Falk and Cate, and the team closed the first quarter 17-15. In the second, two three-pointers from Forrest gave UCAM their first lead (20-23), and they never relinquished it. They went into halftime 32-34, with Forrest as the leading scorer with 10 points.
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Radebaugh breaks open the game
After halftime, Jonah Radebaugh appeared. Three consecutive three-pointers from him pushed the lead into double figures (36-48 at the 24-minute mark), and UCAM kept extending it to 45-61. Bamberg responded with an 8-0 run, but Forrest's free throws stopped the bleeding and the third quarter ended 55-66.
The final period was one-sided. Bamberg head coach Jesús Ramírez, a Spaniard, was ejected at the 33-minute mark for two consecutive technical fouls, and his team fell apart. UCAM surpassed a 20-point lead (57-80) with four and a half minutes remaining. Radebaugh finished with 14 points and Rubén López de la Torre contributed 10.
The victory comes with a reward. UCAM shares the lead in Group D with Peristeri, also unbeaten, but edges them out on point differential (+46 versus +9). The group winner advances directly to the next phase, and Peristeri is precisely the next opponent.