GAZIANTEP (Basketball Champions League) - Gaziantep needed overtime on Wednesday night but finally won for the first time in the Basketball Champions League since October 18 by beating Neptunas Klaipeda, 98-94.

Victor Rudd poured in 31 points and Sean Armand 19 as the Turkish club improved to 3-8 in Group B and kept their slim hopes of making the play-offs alive while third-place Neptunas dropped to 6-5.

The hosts, throttled in the first meeting in Lithuania, 114-73, improved immeasurably with the recent additions of center Robert Carter and point guards Patrick Miller and Kadir Bayram.

Miller's sublime passing game set up his teammates over and over. He had 7 assists to go with his 13 points.

Gaziantep looked as if they would run Neptunas out of the gym in the first half, going in front by 16, yet the visitors continued to battle. The Lithuanian team owned the fourth quarter, outscoring the home side 27-14 and even had a chance to win the game with the last possession in regulation.

Edgaras Zelionis, who had a team-high 28 points, attempted a shot in the lane but missed and the game went to the extra period.

Kazys Maksvytis then put his team on the back foot when he complained about a foul that had been called on Vytautas Sulskis and was hit with two technical fouls, forcing him to leave the court.

That allowed the hosts to go to the free-throw line to extend their advantage. The game hung in the balance, though, until late in overtime when Armand hit two free-throws for the final score.