 SLUC Nancy survived a roller-coaster of emotions to hold off Asseco Prokom 78-70 and remain alive in the hunt for the Euroleague Top 16 in Group B. Nancy improved to 2-5 despite giving up a 13-point third quarter lead - in part due to a 0-12 run in the third quarter by Prokom. Nancy won the game with an 11-1 surge over the final 2:20. Michel Morandais hit 4 three-pointers in scoring 18 points, while John Cox tallied 16 points and Lamayne Wilson collected 12 points and 9 rebounds. Cyril Julian had an outstanding night with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 5 steals and Ricardo Greer chipped in 8 points, 7 assists and 3 steals. Prokom, which was out-rebounded 45-35 and committed 19 turnovers, lost its fourth straight game to drop to 2-5. Prokom currently leads Nancy for fourth place thanks to a better result in the first game between these teams - a 29-point victory. David Logan led Prokom with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Daniel Ewing had 17 points and 5 assists and Patrick Burke and Ronnie Burrell both had 14 points and 9 rebounds in a losing effort.
Wilson started the game with the first basket for the hosts after an offensive rebound. Koko Archibong answered with a long jumper. Morandais and Burrell swapped buckets before Nancy went on an 8-0 run. Ricardo Greer knocked down a three-pointer, Julian hit inside after getting the lucky bounce and then converted the three-point play, and Julian scored again inside for a 12-4 advantage. Logan stopped the surge with two foul shots but Ricardo Greer pushed the lead back to eight points 16-8 with a tough basket inside. Logan though knocked down a three-ball from the side and then drove into the lane and hit off the glass to make it 16-13. Morandais drained two three-pointers though to push the gap back to 22-15. Prokom scored the next six points on a Burke jumper, Burrell reverse lay-up after dribble penetration by Logan and one foul shot each from Logan and Burrell, trimming the margin to 22-21. Cox's offensive rebound and put-back stopped the run and Ewing's foul shot left Prokom trailing just 24-22 after one period.
 Archibong made one free throw to start the second quarter for the guests but watched as Cox nailed a triple and Victor Samnick hit one foul shot for a 28-23 lead. Burke fought off three Nancy players for an inside basket and Logan knotted the game at 28-28 with a three-pointer from the right wing. Cox's jumper in the lane kept Nancy ahead and Steed Tchicamboud's lay-up off the glass made it 32-28. Burke muscled in another power basket in the paint but failed to convert the three point play and it was 32-30 with just under six minutes left. Wilson hit a driving lay-up and two Burke foul shots made it 34-32. The hosts stepped up their defense, forcing five turnovers and four missed three-pointers as Prokom went about five minutes without a basket. Julian hit a reverse lay-up after fine passing inside with Jeff Greer, who hit a jumper and two foul shots before Julian's inside basket to complete a 10-2 run and give Nancy its first double digit lead of the night - 44-34 just before half-time. And Ewing's jumper made it 44-36 at the break.
Logan opened the second half with a long jumper but Morandais knocked down another three-ball and Julian made two straight baskets, the second as he streaked down the lane, collected Ricardo Greer's pass and dunked over Burke to give Nancy its biggest lead of the night 51-38. But Prokom worked hard defensively and roared back into the game with a 0-12 run. Ewing started the come-back with a three-pointer. Burrell knocked down a mid-range jumper and Burke hit inside the lane. But Ewing knocked down another jumper and a tough three-ball to bring Prokom within 51-50. Cox missed two three-pointers but fought in a short jumper off the glass to stop the run. And Morandais hit a three-pointer to push the lead to 56-52. Burke finished the scoring in the third with a dunk to make it 56-54 going into the fourth.
Logan finally gave Prokom the lead again on a three-ball to start the final period. Cox hit two three-pointers to push Nancy back ahead 62-57. Wilson's dunk off Julian's miss was followed by Logan's basket following a steal to make it 64-61. Wilson, however, knocked down a three-pointer for a 67-61 advantage with five minutes left. Ewing answered with a triple of his own and Burrell laid in off the glass on a fast break to make it 67-66. Ewing then dished out to the wing where Burrell was standing to drain a wide open triple to push Prokom ahead 67-69 with 2:20 remaining. Nancy called a timeout and re-gathered itself for the final push. Ricardo Greer hit an easy lay-in in the paint to knot the game at 69-69. After an offensive foul by Ewing, Wilson drained a three-ball from the top of the arc with 50 seconds left for a 72-69 lead. Ewing and Ricardo Greer both made one free throw and after Ewing missed a three-pointer, Cox's foul shot made it 74-70 with 27 seconds to play. Prokom called a time-out and Przemyslaw Zamojski missed a three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining - his only shot of the game. Samnick and Jeff Greer both made two foul shots to finish off the scoring.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
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