BAYREUTH (Basketball Champions League) - medi Bayreuth held on for a thrilling 89-81 victory over Umana Reyer Venezia on Wednesday evening.

The result improved the German side to 8-5 with a week remaining, but things remain to-play-for in Group C with multiple teams still vying for a spot in the Play-Offs.

Venezia fell to 7-6 and have a slim-to-none chance of making the Play-Offs, currently sitting in sixth position.

Gabe York had another big game for the Bayreuth, going for 24 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, including a huge and-one play down the stretch. Nate Linhart and Andreas Seiferth added 15-a-piece, with Robinson proving deadly with his jump shot on the way to 14 points and 8 assists.

"I have to congratulate my players for once again stepping up in an important moment," Bayreuth Head Coach Raoul Korner commented.

"It seems like whenever something is on the line and we're in a do or die situation, players step up and deliver, and that's good to see.

"We started very focused, executed on offence with good inside and outside looks. Struggled a little bit defensively later on, Venice are a very good basketball team so they punished us for making little mistakes, but we shot the ball at high percentage.

"We picked up the physicality in the second half and I think that showed; we wore them out a bit, with them having some foul problems and that helped us to have a little more energy in the last couple of minutes where we played very smart with good decisions on both ends.

"Good win for us, I don't know if it's enough (to qualify), but it doesn't matter, we're going to Athens to win that game anyway, so we'll see, it will be a tough one, but we'll be ready."

Hrvoje Peric had a 16-point, 13-rebound double double for Venezia, with Stefano Tonut and Paul Biligha adding 11 each, and Marquez Haynes joining them in double digits with 10.

"We got off to a poor start," Haynes said.

"Obviously it was a very important game and they set the tone early and we just ran out of gas after trying to battle back."

A high-octane start saw both teams converting, combining for a 60-point first quarter, as Bayreuth pulled away for a 34-26 lead after one behind the play of the trio of Seiferth, York and Linhart.

Venezia fought back in the second, taking the lead before a Robinson triple with 20 seconds remaining gave Bayreuth a two point lead at the halftime break, 51-49. 

Mitchell Watt being called for his fourth foul early in the third quarter forced him to the bench, allowing Bayreuth to take advantage.

Three straight threes - two from York and one from Linhart, gave Bayreuth a 62-53 lead forcing Venezia into a timeout with 6:20 left in the period.

Walter de Raffaele rallied his troops, and they responded, going on a 5-0 run out of the breather.

A Peric tip in at the third quarter buzzer pulled Venezia to within six, trailing 69-63 heading into the final period. 

Another Peric offensive rebound and putback, followed by a Watt jump hook after his re-insertion in the game, brought Venezia back to within two, 69-67, and then Tonut came up with a big block and coast to coast finish to tie the game up at 69 as Venezia made their final rally.

However, Bayreuth responded immediately with an 8-2 run to take a lead they would not give up the rest of the way. 
 
After Venezia had brought it back to six, a tough Gabe York and-1 finish in the final minute increased Bayreuth's lead to nine and sealed the outcome.