ASVEL Lyon beats Dragons as Andersen posts double double


ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne started its Eurocup campaign in style with a 64-70 road win at Artland Dragons Quakenbrueck. The game was the first tip-off for the 2014-15 Eurocup campaign. ASVEL made 4 threes in a row to build a 15-point fourth-quarter lead and then held on when Dragons rallied late. Taurean Green led the ASVEL attack with 15 points and 5 assists and David Andersen amassed 14 points and 10 rebounds to help his team win the battle of the boards 29-43. David Lighty scored 12, including 2 late free throws, and Alexandre Chassang netted 10. The visitors were 12 of 22 from downtown (54.5%) with Lighty and Chassang going a combined 4 for 4. David Holston paced the Dragons’ attack with 18 points and 7 assists, Anthony King scored 13 and Brandon Thomas 10.

King scored the first basket of the Eurocup season for the home team, which surges ahead 8-2 after King’s second steal led to Holston’s second basket. Green sparked ASVEL Lyon with a pair of baskets and Chassang eventually knotted the score. Bastian Doreth and Chassang traded threes to end the opening quarter tied at 11-11. Triples from Thomas and Doreth put Dragons back in front, but ASVEL stayed close. The lead changed hands on threes from Green and Holston. Andersen connected from long distance to even the game at 25-25. King nosed the hosts back on top, back back-to-back threes from Andersen and Green gave ASVEL a 29-31 advantage at the half.

The visitors scored the first 6 points of the second half as Dragons missed five in a row from behind the arc before Lawrence Hill connected to make it 32-37. Lighty helped ASVEL keep a safe distance from Dragons until David McCray set up Thomas and then sank a three of his own to trim the gap to 41-44. Andersen, fouled shooting a three, made the resulting free throws to extend the difference to 9 before ASVEL settled for a 44-52 lead through three quarters. Back-to-back triples from Chad Topper and David Holston brought Dragons within a shot with seven minutes remaining. Travis Bader responded with a three and then hit Andersen for another as ASVEL recovered quickly to lead 51-60 midway through the quarter. Chassang and Green also connected to complete a 0-12 run to seemingly ice the game. However Topper and Holston answered with 9 quick points to make it 60-66 with two minutes to play. In the end, Green came through with a critical basket and Lighty sank late free throws as ASVEL held on.