TORREJON DE ARDOZ (Basketball Champions League) - Movistar Estudiantes recovered after giving up a big lead to take down Banvit 78-73 on Tuesday evening.

The Spanish side had a blistering hot start to take a 20-point lead in the opening period before a second half comeback saw Banvit reduce the lead to single digits and make a game of it.

Estudiantes are now 8-5, just a win behind Banvit at the top of Group C.

Estudiantes rode a 25-point, 12-rebound double-double from Goran Suton, as he went off for 14 points in the opening period to get them started, before finishing the game with some big plays down the stretch. 

Alec Brown added 12 points for Estudiantes, and Sylven Landesburg joined them in double figures with 10.

"Big win, big, big win," Landesburg said. I think everybody understood the importance of this game. We came to play. We responded, we had a challenge in front of us and we handled it the right way. It was a big game from Goran, and it really helped us out.

"Hopefully we can keep this momentum going. We have one more game, we're not in for sure right now but hopefully we can pull this next one out versus Venice and qualify for the next round."

Angelo Caloiaro had 23 points to lead Banvit, Tony Taylor 20 and Damian Kulig 14, as the Captain Gasper Vidmar went for 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

"It's very hard to catch up and make up a 24-point difference in the second half," Vidmar said.

"We are trying our best, we were fighting until the last minute. We need to learn from this game and keep on."

Brown came out hot with 6 personal to help Estudiantes to a 9-0 start, before Suton hit back to back threes, having gone 3-for-3 from beyond the arc as Estudiantes led 15-3 forcing Banvit into a timeout.

Suton hit another 3, before completing a reverse lay up to take his personal tally to 14 in the opening period on 5-for-5 shooting.

Estudiantes kept piling it on; Dario Brizuela went coast-to-coast to beat the buzzer as Estudiantes led 32-10 after the opening period, having gone 12-for-15 to shoot 80% from the field.

Despite a better second period from Banvit, the damage had already been done and at halftime, Estudiantes led 51-27 and were firmly in control.

Banvit switched things up defensively in the second half, riding their zone to get back into the game.

Back to back baskets for Kulig, the second a three from the top of the key brought Banvit back to within single digits, 54-47, punctuating a 20-3 opening to the third quarter and making a game of it down the stretch.

A friendly roll on a Tony Taylor three to open the fourth was a symptomatic of the second half Banvit were having, as they pulled within six before a Kulig dunk brought it to within four.

However, just when everything had been going Banvit's way, Estudiantes started heating up. Suton took over with 5 mins to play to restore a cushion, as Estudiantes went on an 8-0 run punctuated by a Ludvig Hakanson three-pointer to steady the ship as they handed Banvit their first Basketball Champion's League defeat in almost two months.