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Bircevic buzzer-beater gives Partizan last-gasp victory at Ludwigsburg

LUDWIGSBURG (Basketball Champions League) – On a night which featured four games that were decided in the final second, Partizan claimed the prize for the most elaborate game-winning basket as a Stefan Bircevic lay-up culminated a fantastic last play for the Serbian powerhouse to snatch a 65-64 win at MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg on Gameday 1 in Group E.

Ludwigsburg had climbed their way back from a 12-point third-quarter deficit and grabbed a 64-63 lead on a David Gonzalvez triple going into the final minute. With 12 seconds remaining, Wes Washpun drew a foul but missed the chance to make it a three-point gap as he missed both his free-throws.

William Hatcher brought the ball up the court and passed in the corner to Branislav Ratkovica who sent his defender flying with a superb fake and stepped inside the arc, but rather than taking the open long-two he passed to Bircevic underneath the basket and the forward scored the game-winner right at the buzzer.

"In the end we won with the last-gasp basket but the thing I didn't like is that we had the chance to break away and we didn't take it, said Partizan head coach Aleksander Dzikic. "Some of the guys were not as focused as they should be. But the important thing is we got a win against a team that is not a good match-up for us."

"I want to congratulate our opponent because I think they played a good game, they made us play the way they like to play basketball, with their full-court press and traps. They are an undersized but very strong team and it's very tough to make something of your length advantage."