Pamesa Valencia survived a tough test in difficult Group D by edging Sluc Nancy 81-86 on the road on Tuesday. Pamesa improved to 2-0 and ties with BC Khimki for the top spot, while Nancy dropped to 0-2 and needs to start winning right away to stay in the fight to reach the elimination rounds. Shammond Williams became the game hero by burying a triple and adding free throws to win the game for Pamesa in the final 21 seconds. Dejan Milojevic led the winners with 20 points, Williams added 15, Ruben Douglas had 13, Fred House 11 and Stanko Barac 10 for Pamesa. Cyril Julian had 16 points for Nancy against his former team. Ricardo Greer added 15 while his brother Jeff got 14 for the hosts. It was a balanced game for all 40 minutes, as even when Pamesa got a 47-56 lead early in the third quarter, Nancy still managed to get a 74-71 edge midway through the fourth period. Pamesa found a go-to guy in Williams, who helped his team to seal the outcome down the stretch.
Milojevic scored twice in the paint and Barac added a jumper and free throws for a 4-8 Pamesa lead. Ricardo Greer followed free throws with a layup while his brother Jeff stroke twice from downtown to give Nancy its first lead, 14-12. Amadou Aboubacar and Ricardo Greer kept Nancy ahead, but a layup by Zeljko Rebraca and a three-pointer by Williams got Pamesa within 26-25 after 10 minutes. TJ Parker buried a triple and Julian scored inside to keep Nancy ahead, 31-27, early in the second quarter. Albert Oliver and an outstanding Fred House allowed Pamesa to regain the lead, 31-32. Julian stepped up to put Nancy back ahead, 35-32. Milojevic followed a layup with a three-pointer while Williams added free throws to provide another lead change, 37-39. A second-chance layup by Ricardo Greer tied the game, 39-39, at halftime. House and Milojevic opened the third quarter with consecutive baskets while Williams and Douglas stroke from downtown to give Pamesa its biggest lead that far, 47-56, after a 0-8 run. Nancy called timeout, as Zab Dowdell and Aboucabar ignited a 9-0 run that Jeff Greer capped with a triple that tied the game, 56-56. A triple by Douglas and free throws by Williams helped Pamesa to tie the game, 61-61, after 30 minutes. Rebraca stepped up with back-to-back baskets but a 7-0 run that Ricardo Greer capped with one from downtown gave Nancy a 67-65 edge. Mindaugas Timinskas and Douglas kept Pamesa alive and even when Ricardo Greer gave Nancy a 74-71 edge, the guests did not panic. Barac and Williams fueled a 0-7 run that gave Pamesa a 74-78 edge with 3 minutes to go. The game turned into a thriller when Julian scored for a 81-81 tie with a minute to go. Williams stepped up with a triple with 21 seconds to go and soon added free throws to seal the outcome.
SLUC Nancy Head coach Jean Luc Monschau
"It was a really nice basketball game. The public saw the talent of one of the top European teams. They play good basketball with very talented players on every position. It's a good thing to play eye on eye with this kind of team. Pamesa Valencia has got strong shooters and also strong inside players. During the last minute, some details weren't for us. We turned the ball over twice during money time so we will come back stronger for the next game, here against Mariupol."
SLUC Nancy center Cyril Julian
"We missed two rebounds during the last minute of the game and against this kind of team it's fatal. But we played equal during all the game except, as I said, during the last minute. Now, we focus on the game of this weekend for the French league and next week, we will come back in ULEB Cup very motivated."
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
ULEBCup.com