Cantu keeps Last 32 chances alive by beating ASVEL

FoxTown Cantu remained alive in the hunt for the Last 32 by coming back from a fourth-quarter deficit to win 79-69 at home over ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne in Group B. Darius Johnson-Odom led the way for Cantu with 17 points as the hosts improved to 3-5. Damian Hollis added all 13 of his points in the fourth and DeQuan Jones chipped in 10 points for the winners, who trailed by 11 points in the second quarter. ASVEL dropped to 4-4 despite 22 points from Taurean Green and 21 from Edwin Jackson as the two combined for 9 three-pointers.

Green opened the game with a three-pointer for the guests and the hosts went ahead for the first time on Eric Williams second basket for a 6-5 lead. Cantu went two minutes without a point and watched as Jackson nail three straight three-pointers for a 6-14 lead. Johnson-Odom stopped the drought, but Green added another trey for an 8-17 advantage. Awudu Abass’s dunk made it 14-21 but Green’s free throws and Jackson’s basket left the guests ahead 14-25. The margin was 16-25 after one quarter. A layup from Yohann Sangare had the lead still in double digits at 18-29. But Ivan Buva put back an offensive rebound and scored another basket before Jones’s layup finished an 8-0 run to make it 26-29 and force an ASVEL timeout. Amara Sy stopped the run before Johnson-Odom nailed a three-ball to trim it to 29-31. But Jackson hit a jumper and a three-ball to push the lead out to 29-36. Cantu scored the final six points of the half as the hosts trailed just 35-36 at intermission.

After David Andersen opened the second half with a three for Lyon, Jones evened the game at 39-39. Andersen sandwiched baskets around another Jackson three-pointer to open a 39-46 lead. Johnson-Odom’s free throw trimmed the deficit to 45-49 and it was still four points after Giorgi Shermadini’s offensive rebound putback. Green’s trey left ASVEL up 47-54 after 30 minutes. Jackson’s jumper had the guests up 50-56 and that’s when the hosts began taking over. Shermadini’s three-point play started a 7-0 run to take the lead 57-56 and after Green hit a three-pointer, Hollis punched right back with a trey and his next basket made it 62-59. Cantu led 64-63 when Hollis knocked down another triple and James Feldeine scored four straight points in an 8-0 run for a 72-63 lead with less than two minutes. Johnson-Odom made two foul shots and a three-pointer and Abass threw down a dunk to fend off ASVEL and get the victory.