McKee fuels Le Mans for win in Brindisi

Le Mans Sarthe Basket went on the road, and led for all but the opening four minutes of the contest on the way to 65-72 win over Enel Brindis Basket. The visitors, who improved to 1-1 in Group B, spoiled Eurocup home debut for Brindisi, which dropped to 0-2. Tywain McKee fueled a 0-9 run for Le Mans in the first quarter, giving it lead for good, before a big 3-17 run in the second quarter opened the largest margin of the night, 22-39. Brindisi caught up late in the third period, getting within 47-51, but three threes from McKee paved way for Le Mans’ win. McKee finished with 24 points, Mickael Gelabale scored 11, and Damion James collected 10 points and 6 rebounds in victory. Alex Harris paced the hosts with 19 points, while Kenneth Kadji scored 9 in defeat.

Gelabale helped Le Mans get a good start with a triple and a blocked shot, before McKee scored 6 points, sparking a 0-9 run capped by a three-pointer from Pape-Philippe Amagou for 9-18. Harris snapped Brindisi’s drought, and a three-point play from Durand Scott helped cut it to 17-22 at the end of first quarter. Early in the second, however, Jones scored four points for the visitors, before Chris Lofton knocked down back-to-back triples to help extend the margin to 22-34. A three from McKee capped a 3-17 spurt and opened 22-39 advantage. Harris and Nemanja Milosevic stopped the leaking, but the visitors went into halftime up 26-41.

It was Gelabale again with a pair of buckets making sure Le Mans gets going at the start of the half, but Andrea Zerini answered for Brindisi to keep the margin at 32-45. The hosts held Le Mans without a single basket for four and a half minutes, but only managed to cut it to 39-47. A pair of baskets from Djorjde Gagic in the final minute of the third quarter, and a bucket from Harris at the start of the fourth got the hosts within 47-51. However, McKee hit back-to-back-to-back threes, then a pair from foul line to open 53-64 margin. Brindisi needed to find offense quickly, but Scott and Harris only managed to bring the hosts within 63-68 in the final minute. Mouphataou Yarou and Lahaou Konate sealed things with free throws.