Spirou downs CAI Zaragoza for the first win

Proximus Spirou Charleroi hit 13 triples on its first win of the Eurocup campaign, 80-69 decision over the visiting CAI Zaragoza on Wednesday. Spirou improved to 1-5 in a share of the fifth place in Group C, while CAI dropped to 4-2 in the second place. The hosts took the lead for good after 40 seconds, built a double-digit margin and scored 31 points in the first quarter. CAI never went away, and got within 59-56 early in the fourth quarter, but never closer than that. Seamus Boxley, Billy and Jimmy Baron made sure Spirou never lost control, and cruised to an 11-point win, even overcoming a 10-point loss in Round 1, which could be important in case two teams finish with the same record at the end of the regular season. Billy Baron paced in victory with 17 points. Jimmy Baron and Boxley each scored 14, while Kevin Tumba collected 11 points plus 8 rebounds. Pavel Pumprla added 10 points in victory. Steav Jelovac finished with 12 points for CAI, Joan Sastre netted 11 and Drake Diener 10 points in the losing effort.

Maxime Gaudoux from downtown, and Tumba with a pair of buckets gave Spirou early 7-4 lead. Robin Benzing, Henk Norel and a triple from Sastre kept CAI in range, but back-to-back-to-back threes from Jordan Heath, and Billy and Jimmy Baron helped the hosts to 16-11. Spirou's good start did not end there, as a put-back from Tumba sparked a 10-2 run, capped by couple baskets from Boxley, making it 26-14 with 2:30 left to play in the first period. Diener hit couple triples for CAI, but Alexandre Libert hit from long range for the hosts, giving them 31-21 lead at the end of first quarter. In the second, Boxley hit for three, and followed it with a fastbreak basket to open 36-23. Tomas Bellas answered with a second- chance three-pointer, then added another shot from long range to cut the deficit to 38-29. Neither team scored a field goal for another 3 minutes, and in between many free throws, there was a basket from Gaudoux as teams went into the break with Spirou up 44-34.

Billy Baron hit a three-pointer, and after Diener answered from downtown, Pumprla’s three-point play followed by his three-pointer opened 54-39 margin. But Bellas hit a three-pointer for the visitors, before Isaac Fotu and Sastre sparked a 0-10 run, capped by a three-pointer from Sek Henry. Spirou entered the final quarter up 57-52, and a basket from Henry cut it to 59-56. But Jimmy Baron hit twice from long range, and after Jelovac hit a triple for CAI, Boxley and Jimmy Baron again opened 71-61 lead with 4:40 to go. Henry and Jelovac decreased the deficit from the foul line, but Billy Baron hit another three-pointer, and added another basket to make it 76-65. Fotus’s triple gave CAI a chance, but that was a lone field goal the hosts allowed in the final 5:45, and Tumba scored a second-chance basket in the final seconds, giving Spirou an 11-point win, and an advantage in a potential tie-break situation.