CFBB wins Group B despite loss to Mega

U18 CFBB Paris set up a date with U18 Partizan NIS Belgrade in the first-place game of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade despite losing 68-69 to U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade to take top honors in Group B. The 2010 and 2017 continental champion CFBB could have afforded a loss by eight points and still claim first place in the group and will now play for a berth at the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. Melvin Ajinca paced CFBB with 19 points while Ousmane Dieng scored 12 points and Daniel Batcho finished with 5 points and 11 rebounds. The French side ended group play with a 2-1 record - just like Mega and U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. The Serbian club, which took first place at the ANGT Belgrade last season, got 18 points from Petar Kovacevic while Luka Paunovic scored 13 points with 7 rebounds and 5 assists and Nikola Jovic had 11 points. Mega made just 12-of-25 free throws for 48.0 percent.

Knowing it needed a 9-point win to play for a ticket to the ANGT Finals, Mega started out hot, hitting three straight three-pointers for a 0-9 lead and a CFBB time out. Yohan Traore finally got CFBB on the board but Mega continued the roll with Kovacevic scoring two baskets, Paunovic hitting a three-pointer and then throwing down a big dunk on the break for a 2-24 lead. Ajinca hit CFBB’s second basket after the team made just 1-of-10 field goal attempts and Mikhailo Musikic nailed his second three - and team’s fifth straight - for a 4-27 advantage. The French side began to score with regularity and the gap was 11-31 after 10 minutes. Kovacevic’s basket gave Mega a 13-35 cushion but CFBB started closing the gap with an Ajinca triple and Aurele Brena-Chemille three-point play to make it 23-37. Paunovic was forced out of the game with three fouls with 4 minutes left in the half - after Mega had already lost its other starting guard Marko Andric with a right ankle injury 6 minutes into the game. CFBB twice cut the margin to 13 points but Jovic nailed a big three-pointer and Mega went into the break up 31-49. Ajinca scored seven points as CFBB opened the second half with an 11-2 run to make it 42-51. Mega did pick up five straight points but Dieng buried a three-ball and Adama Bal’s jumper pulled CFBB within 49-56. Jovic responded with another big triple and Mega was up 49-60 after 30 minutes. CFBB kept Mega scoreless for the first 4:39 minutes of the final frame and Rudy Demahis converted a three-point play and Dieng buried a three-pointer as the score was 57-60. Kovacevic finally got Mega back on the board and Jovic knocked down a triple to make it 56-67. But Dieng answered right back with a trey and CFBB scored the next four points to pull within 65-67. And that was enough to send the French side to the first-place game.