Virtus Bologna finally claimed its first EuroLeague victory of the season in dramatic fashion, stunning defending champions Olympiacos 96-94 at PalaDozza on Thursday night.

Marcus Carr delivered the decisive moment with six seconds remaining, receiving the inbound pass before moving toward the corner and knocking down an off-balance three-pointer to send the home crowd into a frenzy. The shot completed a hard-earned comeback victory for Alex Mumbru’s team after a difficult opening stretch to the season.

Carr finished with 22 points and 10 assists, while Aliou Diarra produced career highs of 18 points and 14 rebounds. Diarra was particularly influential inside, repeatedly attacking the rim and helping Virtus control the tempo.

The hosts made an explosive start to the game, with the first half featuring 14 lead changes. Olympiacos relied heavily on Tyler Dorsey and Sasha Vezenkov, with Dorsey going 5-for-5 from three-point range for 15 points and Vezenkov scoring 10 in the opening 10 minutes.

Virtus nevertheless took a 33-30 lead into the second quarter behind Carr and Diarra.

Olympiacos then produced a 13-4 run, but Virtus immediately answered with a 14-2 surge of its own. Carr had 15 points and five assists by halftime, while Diarra provided a constant presence around the basket as the hosts maintained a narrow advantage.

Virtus raised its defensive intensity after halftime, disrupting Olympiacos’ offensive flow and making it harder for the visitors to generate their usual ball movement. Vezenkov continued to produce, eventually finishing with 20 points, but Olympiacos struggled to maintain its rhythm.

The defending champions responded in the fourth quarter and eventually moved ahead, setting up a tense finish. However, Virtus stayed composed and put the ball in Carr’s hands for the final possession.

Olympiacos had four players score at least 20 points, led by Tyson Ward’s 23 and Dorsey’s 22. Vezenkov added 20, while Olympiacos shot 65.1% from two-point range and 33.3% from three.

Virtus shot 64.9% from inside the arc but made only 11 of 40 three-point attempts. The hosts also won the turnover battle, committing 11 compared with 11 for Olympiacos, while recording 24 assists.

The victory moved Virtus to 1-2 in the EuroLeague, while Olympiacos fell to 2-1 after three rounds.

Virtus had already pushed Fenerbahce and Armani Olimpia Milan to the limit on the road, and this time Mumbru’s team completed the job. Carr and Diarra led the way as Virtus secured its first win of the campaign in front of its home fans.

Virtus will visit Bayern Munich next Thursday, while Olympiacos hosts Anadolu Efes on Friday.