The 2010 champion INSEP Paris kept alive its hopes of reaching the final of the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT by easing past Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome 85-55. The victory improved INSEP’s record in Group A to 2-1 and the team’s chances of returning to the title game rely on the result of the final game in Group A between Real Madrid and VEF Riga. Stephan Gombauld collected 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists, three steals, one block and 11 fouls drawn for a 35 ranking while Killian Tillie added 21 points, six rebounds, two assists and six steals for INSEP. Batiste Tchouaffe chipped in 13 points for the Paris club. Stellazzurra dropped to 0-3 in the group despite 12 points, four assists and four steals from Kristinn Palsson.

INSEP grabbed the lead 8-2 early on before Palsson nailed a three and Nicola Savoldelli scored to make it 8-9. Gombauld and Tillie responded with the next 11 points combined for a 19-9 cushion. Gombauld pushed his tally to 14 points in the quarter, which ended with INSEP up 23-15. Stellazzurra three times early in the second quarter was able to cut the deficit to six points and a Savoldelli trey made it 31-26. But Arthur Leboeuf nailed a long ball and Gombauld’s output increased to 20 points in an 11-0 run for a 42-26 lead. The gap was 42-28 at intermission.

Todor Radonjic hit a three early in the second half for Rome but the Italian club went scoreless for nearly four minutes before Curtis Nwohuocha made it 46-33. Tchouaffe and Tillie combined for 10 points in a 17-2 run for a 63-35 advantage. INSEP’s cushion was 65-38 after three quarters. INSEP scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to push the lead to 31 points 69-38 Savoldelli’s layup finally but Rome on the scoreboard halfway through the fourth. The lead grew to as many as 34 points while Stellazzurra got as close as 25 points the rest of the way.