Akasvayu Girona stayed atop the Group C standings by edging Spirou Charleroi 71-74 in the Spiroudome on Tuesday. Akasvayu improved to 3-1 and will at least tie for first place at the end of this round. Meanwhile, Charleroi dropped to 2-2 but keeps its elimination rounds hopes intact. Jackson Vroman paced the winners with 21 points. Fernando San Emeterio added 13 while Marc Gasol had 10 for Akasvayu. Adam Hall had 15 points for Spirou, Justin Hamilton added 12 and Tremmell Darden 10. A 13-0 run that Wes Wilkinson capped with a triple allowed Spirou to get a 24-18 lead after 10 minutes. Hall allowed Spirou to get its biggest margin, 32-24. Gasol and a final basket by Darryl Middleton got Akasvayu within 44-40 at halftime, while a 2-10 run opening run after the break put the hosts ahead, 46-50. It was a balanced game from that moment, as a three-point play by Vroman tied the game, 67-67. It all came down to the final 2 minutes, in which San Emeterio scored off a steal while Arriel McDonald did not miss from the foul line to allow Akasvayu to go home with a very valuable road win.
Four different players scored for Akasvayu in a 4-8 opening run that Vroman capped with a layup. A triple by McDonald and a three-point play by Vroman boosted the guests' lead to 8-16. Charleroi made Akasvayu go scoreless in the next 4 minutes. Meanwhile, Draden scored off a steal, igniting a 13-0 run in which six different players scored. By the time Wilkinson buried a triple, Spirou led 24-18 after 10 minutes. A three-pointer by Roman Montañez ignited a 0-6 run that tied the game again, 24-24, after a free throw by Vroman. It didn't last long, as Hall had 4 points in a 8-0 run that Hamilton capped with free throws for a 32-24 Spirou margin. Akasvayu kept running its offense through Vroman but Hall buried a triple and fed Roel Moors for a basket, good for a 39-32 Spirou edge. Hamilton fired in a three-pointer but Branko Cvetkovic, Gasol and a final basket by Middleton got Akasvayu within 44-40 at halftime. The guests returned to the floor with a different mentality, as Stevenson, San Emeterio and Gasol fueled a 2-10 run that gave Girona a 46-50 edge. Spirou fired back, as Hamilton and Hall led a 7-0 run to put the hosts back ahead, 53-50. Jarod Stevenson and Gasol helped the guests to regain the lead, 54-57. A free throw by Victor Sada allowed Akasvayu to keep a 57-58 edge after 30 minutes. Wilkinson and Christophe Beghin allowed Spirou to regain the lead, 66-62, midway through the fourth quarter. Akasvayu opted to attack the basket, as free throws by San Emeterio and a three-point play by Vroman tied it at 67-67. Gasol made a free throw and San Emeterio scored off a steal for a 67-70 Girona edge. Hamilton and Hall combined for 2-for-4 free throws but McDonald hit 4-for-4 to seal the outcome down the stretch.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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