 Le Mans registered its first win in Group B by rallying from an early 17-point deficit to edge Hemofarm Stada 92-90 at home on Tuesday. Le Mans improved to 1-2 and will rejoin the Last 16 race if it downs Hemofarm in Vrsac, Serbia next Tuesday. Meanwhile, Hemofarm dropped to 0-3, is in a do-or-die situation and will lose all chances to advance with a home loss next week. Marc Salyers led the winners with 22 points. Dee Spencer added 21, Antoine Diot had 12 while Maleye Ndoye had 11 for Le Mans. Bojan Krstovic and Goran Jagodnik led Hemofarm with 16 points apiece. Milan Macvan added 14, Jarod Stevenson had 12 while Miljan Pavkovic and Stefan Markovic each had 10 for the guests. Markovic added 6 rebounds and 8 assists for Hemofarm. Stevenson and Jagodnik combined for 16 points in a 0-20 run that gave the guests an early 3-20 lead. Spencer and Salyers rescued Le Mans and brought the hosts within 26-32 after 10 minutes. A jumper by Diot completed his team's comeback, 46-45, near halftime. It became a very balanced game from then on but three-pointers by Pavkovic and Markovic gave Hemofarm its last lead, 85-86. Diot made free throws and Ndoye followed a key three-pointer with foul shots from a 92-89 score. Markovic fixed the final score at 92-90, as even when Salyers missed free throws, Hemofarm had no time to get a shot up in the final seconds.
Zach Wright got Le Mans going with a three-pointer but Boban Marjanovic dunked it and Jagodnik took over with three consecutive bombs from downtown, good for a 3-11 Hemofarm lead. Le Mans called timeout but kept struggling to score. Meanwhile, Stevenson followed a jumper with a layup and soon joined the three-point shootout. A layup by Krstovic capped a mamooth 0-20 run that made it a 17-point game, 3-20. Spencer nailed consecutive triples but free throws by Marjanovic and a layup-plus-foul by Krstovic kept Hemofarm way ahead, 9-25. Spencer followed free throws with back-to-back triples and found some help from Salyers to bring Le Mans back to life, 23-30. Macvan made free throws but Salyers answered from downtown to get the hosts even closer, 26-32, after 10 minutes. Salyers scored again early in the second quarter. Markovic and Charles Kahudi traded triples for a 31-35 score. Marjanovic scored inside but consecutive layups by Guillaume Yango and Kahudi made Hemofarm call timeout at 35-37. Marjanovic silenced the crowd with a dunk but Yango and Diot tied the game at 39-39. Macvan rescued Hemofarm with a layup and Krstovic added a dunk to give Hemofarm some fresh air at 39-43. Salyers kept pacing Le Mans with 4-of-4 free throws and a jumper by Diot completed the hosts' comeback, 46-45. Krstovic scored again but Ndoye and Diot struck from downtown for a 52-48 score at halftime.
Stevenson and Pavkovic sank free throws immediately after the break while a layup by Milos Borisov brought Hemofarm within 54-53. Kahudi and Yango rescued Le Mans with consecutive layups but Pavkovic buried one from downtown, igniting a 0-7 run that Macvan capped with consecutive layups to put Hemofarm back ahead, 58-60. Spencer followed a jumper with a three-pointer while a layup by Thierry Rupert gave Le Mans a 65-62 edge. Macvan scored again while free throws by Pavkovic helped Hemofarm to regain the lead, 65-66. Markovic and Borisov made free throws but a jumper by Diot and a big triple by Salyers gave Le Mans a 70-69 margin after 30 minutes. Wright dunked it early in the fourth quarter and Rupert sank a mid-range jumper but Krstovic and Jagodnik answered from downtown to give the guests a 74-75 edge. Ndoye buried a three-pointer but Macvan kept Hemofarm as close as 78-77 with under 6 minutes left. Salyers hit foul shots and a layup by Spencer set the crowd on fire at 83-78. Jagodnik made 2-of-3 free throws that Salyers erased with a jumper. It didn't last long, however, as Pavkovic and Markovic buried consecutive triples to make Le Mans call timeout, 85-86, with 2 minutes left. Diot hit foul shots while Ndoye and Jagodnik traded triples for a 90-89 score already in the final minute. Hemofarm fouled on Ndoye, who hit both attempts. Markovic hit 1-of-2 foul shots for a 92-90 deficit and Salyers missed free throws in the final seconds. Hemofarm could not get a shot up in its final possession.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
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