Le Mans downs Brindisi, snaps losing streak

Le Mans Sarthe got back to the winning ways, using its defense and a two big fourth quarter runs to beat Enel Basket Brindisi 66-45 on Wednesday night. Victory snapped four-game losing streak for Le Mans which improved to 2-5 in the fifth place in Group B, while Brindisi dropped to 1-6, and only has mathematical chances to advance in its Eurocup debut season. Le Mans scored last four points of the third quarter, then opened fourth with an 11-0 run that opened 51-40 lead. The hosts went on to a 30-3 spurt, and ran away with a huge win. Mouphtaou Yarou amassed 16 points plus 15 rebounds in victory. Lahaou Konate scored 11, while Pape-Philippe Amagou and Robert Dozier each had 10 points for Le Mans. David Cournooh and Kenneth Kadji scored 11 apiece in defeat.

Teams traded blows in the early going, with Yarou scoring consecutive baskets for Le Mans, but buckets from Kadji and Nemanja Milosevic gave Brindisi 8-9. Teams continued trading leads, as Konate scored for Le Mans, but Brindisi regained slim lead with a triple from Alex Harris and another basket from Kadji. Amagou scored 4 points to give Le Mans 17-14 after 10 minutes, and Dozier had a pair of buckets, including a put-back, helping make it 23-14 in the second. But Harris had a three-point play, and Marco Cardillo scored on consecutive possessions, including a fastbreak that cut it to 25-23. Milosevic and Domenico Marzaioli helped put the visitors in the slim lead again, before Petr Cornelie made the halftime score 29-28.

Cournooh hit from downtown for the visitors in the third quarter, and as Le Mans was held scoreless for more than 4 minutes, Kadji and Djordje Gagic opened 31-36 margin. However, Yarou and Cornelie got the hosts going, and Tywain McKee’s baskets tied it at 40-40 going into the fourth. That’s when the hosts pulled away as Yarou started the run, Amagou had a three-point play and Chris Lofton hit a triple. A fastbreak basket from Amagou capped an 11-0 run. Kadji snapped Brindisi’s drought, but Konate answered with a triple of his own, and contributed with another basket to spark a 15-0 run, in which Dozeir contributed with 6 points, capping 30-3 spurt and big victory.