EUROLEAGUE - Partizan clinch important win at Fenerbahce (+ video)

ISTANBUL (Euroleague) - Partizan Belgrade beat Fenerbahce Ulker on Thursday to not only seal their passage to the Euroleague Top 16.

They also leapfrogged Lottomatica Roma into fifth place in Group C when the Italians lost at home to Chorale Roanne.

Coach Dusko Vujosevic watched his Partizan players grind out a 91-86 victory in Istanbul with big man Nikola Pekovic powering his way up for 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Partizan blew out Bamberg last week but slipped up in the Adriatic League on Saturday to Zadar, so they got that defeat out of their system with a big win in Turkey.

"With this victory, we have finished the first phase in a great way," Vujosevic said.

"It's much better to enter the Top 16 in fifth place than as the best sixth-placed team.

"To be among the best 16 teams is a phenomenal result for Partizan."

Lottomatica Roma coach Jasmin Repesa rested Gregor Fucka because of injury and that hurt as they lost to Roanne, last year's French champions, 74-67.

Panathinaikos finished top of Group C but they ended their regular season with a 95-87 overtime defeat at Real Madrid, who got a trio of three-pointers from Louis Bullock in the extra period.

Barcelona, who came third, won 69-65 at Bamberg.

Lietuvos Rytas won a tight race to first in Group B after prevailing 86-79 at Cibona Zagreb.

They edged out Maccabi Tel Aviv, who clinched a 101-94 success at Aris. Lietuovos Rytas and Maccabi each finished 11-3.

Unicaja Malaga also finished the regular season with a win, 87-77 over Efes Pilsen.

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FIBA