Fourth-quarter defense leads Trento to second win

Dolomiti Energia Trento joined a four-way tie for first place in Group A by downing previously undefeated JSF Nanterre 70-55 at home on Wednesday. Trento and Nanterre joined Dominion Bilbao Basket and Telekom Baskets Bonn in a tie for first place, each with a 2-1 record. Julian Wright paced the winners with 14 points. Trent Lockett added 13 while Davide Pascolo and Dominique Sutton had 12 apiece for Trento. Mam Jaiteh led Nanterre with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Mykal Riley and Gerald Robinson each had 10 points for the guests, which led 14-15 early. Trento managed to get a 25-18 margin after 10 minutes and keep a 36-31 edge at halftime. Nothing changed after the break, as Trento improved its margin to 59-50 at the end of the third quarter and limited Nanterre to just one point in the next 7 minutes to seal the outcome, 68-51, long before the final buzzer.

Terrance Campbell got Nanterre going and Robinson added a three-pointer but Toto Forray and Lockett made Trento tie it at 5-5. Wright struck from downtown and got help from Pascolo to made the hosts get an early five-point lead, 10-5. Nanterre found a go-to guy in Jaiteh, who had 6 quick points to keep his team within 12-11. Jaiteh scored again to give Nanterre its first lead, 14-15. Lockett and Sutton stepped up for Trento, combining for 7 points in an 8-0 run. Three-pointers by Riley and Sutton fixed the score at 25-18 after 10 minutes. Hugo Invernizzi hit a triple early in the second quarter but Diego Flaccadori restored a 27-21 Trento lead. Nanterre improved its defense and Tasmin Mitchell stepped up with 4 points in an 1-8 run that gave the guests a 28-29 edge. Lockett rescued Trento with 4 quick points and free throws by Johan Lofberg soon gave the hosts a 34-31 lead. Pascolo allowed Trento to get a 36-31 lead at the break.

Forray struck from downtown immediately after the break and a huge dunk by Sutton gave Trento a 41-34 lead. Riley kept pacing Nanterre but Wright and Pascolo combined for all points in a 6-0 run which boosted the hosts' margin to double digits, 47-36. Fernando Raposo stepped up for Nanterre with a put-back basket and Invernizzi took over with back-to-back three-pointer which allowed the guests to get within 49-44. Lockett stepped up for Trento with an important basket which Pascolo followed with a put-back layup for a 53-44 margin. Jaiteh and Robinson tried to change things for the guests but Wright and Filippo Baldo Rossi kept Trento way ahead, 59-50, after 30 minutes. The hosts improved their defense in the fourth quarter and started to use longer possessions to run the game clock now. Nanterre was limited to just one point in almost 7 minutes, while Sutton, Flaccadori and Pascolo allowed Trento to seal the outcome, 68-51. The guests did not give up but Trento had cruised to its second Eurocup win.