Chalon gives fans a parting present with OT win

Elan Chalon-Sur-Saone gave its fans one final home victory in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague in beating Montepaschi Siena 108-103 in overtime in Group B action, snapping Siena’s five-game winning streak. Blake Schilb led 3-6 Chalon with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists while Jean Baptiste Adolph Michel set a career high with 20 points. Shelden Williams added 15 points and Steed Tchicamboud scored 14 points for Chalon, which was already out of the Top 16 race going into the game. Siena had already secured a spot in the next round, but dropped to 5-4 despite 26 points and 10 assists from Bobby Brown. Tomas Ress added 13 points, Matthew Janning had 12, Benjamin Eze scored 11 and David Moss and Kristjan Kangur both chipped in 10 points for Montepaschi.

First quarter: Little separates teams early

Chalon coach Gregor Beugnot made one change to his starting lineup with Jordan Aboudou replacing Brion Rush with the other starters being Schilb, Kevin Houston, Williams and Ilian Evtimov. Siena boss Luca Banchi decided on the old adage of never changing a winning team and sent out the same first five for the fifth straight game – Brown, Viktor Sanikidze, Benjamin Ortner, Janning and Moss. Evtimov started the game with two free throws and Ortner got Siena on the scoreboard with a layup. Janning nailed the game’s first three-pointer to give Montepaschi its first lead at 4-5. Chalon pulled back ahead 8-5 before Moss’s three-ball to even the game at 8-8 and jumper to make it 10-10. The hosts went on a mini 7-0 run with two Williams baskets sandwiched around a Schilb triple for a 17-10 lead. Brown stopped the run and Ortner trimmed the deficit to 17-14. Tchicamboud nailed a three and the lead grew to 23-16 with a JBAM score and Schilb free throw. Janning and Sanikidze both drained three-balls and Eze’s basket brought Montepaschi to within 25-24 before JBAM’s score to make it 27-24 after one quarter.

Second quarter: Chalon effective inside, Siena red-hot from long range

JBAM continued his superb game with the first two baskets of the second quarter. And after Eze hit for Siena, JBAM threw down a dunk for a 33-26 Chalon lead. Montepaschi used the three-ball to get back into the game with Marco Carraretto and Kangur both nailing two triples in an 1-12 run to open a 34-38 Siena advantage. Aboudou ended a three-minute Chalon drought without a basket by knocking down a long-ball and Houston’s jumper put the hosts back ahead. Williams followed with a baseline jumper and a thunderous dunk for a 43-38 Chalon cushion. Kangur and Carraretto each would knock down three-pointers to get Montepaschi within 47-46 late in the first half. Cedrick Banks re-established a three-point Chalon lead before Brown’s free throws made it 49-48 after the first half, in which Chalon made 17 of 19 two-point shots (89 percent) and Siena was on target on 10 of 18 from long range (55 percent).

Third quarter: Ress scores 10 in quarter, Siena temporarily open double-digit lead

Aboudou started the second half for the hosts but Ress stepped up for Siena. The veteran scored his first points on a jump hook and then converted a tough basket and one to make it 51-53. Janning followed with a triple from the right corner and Ress hit in the lane before Janning’s next long ball for a 52-63 lead – Siena’s biggest cushion in the game. The guests had a fast break chance to push the lead to 13 points but Janning and Brown could not convert on an alley-oop. Schilb came back at the other end for a reverse layup to start a 6-0 run to bring Chalon within 58-63. Ress answered with a three but Schilb hit right back from long range and Evtimov’s triple from the right side brought Chalon within 65-66 and forced a Siena timeout. Brown came out with a jumper and then hit a layup over JBAM and knocked down two foul shots to keep Siena ahead 68-72. Schilb trimmed the gap back to two with two free throws but Eze banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer for Siena as the guests led 70-75 after three quarters.

Fourth quarter: Down 10 points, Chalon use 12-0 to come back

Schilb opened the fourth quarter with a three-ball from the left wing to cut the deficit to 73-75. Siena took advantage of a technical foul with two free throws by each Brown and Eze to open a 73-79 lead. Daniel Hackett and Eze scored and Brown knocked down two baskets as Siena led 77-87 with seven minutes left. Schilb and JBAM were not ready to hand over the game as Schilb hit a jumper and two free throws and JBAM’s fastbreak layup cut the deficit to 83-87 before Houston’s long jumper made it 86-87. With three minutes left, Brown returned to the game after three minutes on the bench but could not keep JBAM from scoring inside to give Chalon the lead and his free throw made it 89-87. Brown finally snapped the scoreless stretch and Chalon’s 12-0 run with a triple. After Schilb and Moss each made two foul shots, Kangur made just one of two free throws with 28 seconds before Tchicamboud’s layup off the glass evened the game at 93-93 with 15 seconds to play. Montepaschi had a chance to win in regulation but Ress missed a three from the right corner at the buzzer.

Overtime: Chalon outlast Siena for victory

Schilb opened the extra period with a jumper which Moss answered with a three-ball for a 95-96 lead. Tchicamboud, Evtimov and Brown all split free throws for a 97-97 scoreline. Schilb hit another big shot and then Banks got a tough layup off the glass to go ahead 101-97. Schilb’s lay-in made it 103-99 before Brown scored an easy layup and Ress made one of two foul shots to pull within 103-102. Hackett’s missed jumper was followed by Williams’ tough basket inside to push the lead to three. Hackett missed a tough reverse layup late in the shot clock but got lucky that Sanikidze grabbed the rebound and was fouled, converting however just one to make it 105-103 with 12 seconds to play. Trying to ice the game, Evtimov made just one of two free throws a second later to make it a three-point game and Siena was forced to accept defeat when Brown’s off-balance three with seven seconds left went off target.