Strazel layup gives ASVEL last-second OT win over Prague

U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne secured seventh place at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Qualifier Valencia by beating U18 USK Future Stars Prague 59-61 in overtime. Matthew Strazel hit the game-winning layup with 0.2 seconds left; he led the way with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Elwin Ndjock added 10 points for ASVEL and Hugo Desseignet chipped in 9 points. Prague was paced by David Bohm with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Marek Vyroubal added 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals, Kristian Kocab had 10 points and 12 rebounds and Martin Svoboda chipped in 8 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

There were four lead changes early on with Bohm netting 5 points for a 7-6 Prague lead. Mathias Machalek knocked down a three to make it 14-8 before the Czech side went up 16-12 after 10 minutes. Bohm added 5 more points as Prague led 21-16 only to see ASVEL counter with a 4-12 run with three-pointers from Ndjock and Strazel to lead 25-28. The score was 31-32 at the break. Flavien Buanga scored twice as ASVEL went up 38-40. But Prague held the French side scoreless for the final 3 minutes of the third quarter and Vyroubal hit 4 points in an 8-0 run for a 46-40 lead after 30 minutes. The cushion grew to 48-40, but Ndjock, Strazel and Desseignet all knocked down three-pointers in a 2-11 ASVEL run to take a 50-51 lead. After Bohm evened the game at 53-53 with 42 seconds left, Mathias Machalek committed an unsportsmanlike foul with 2.2 seconds remaining, but Cedrick Sam Mbaka missed both free throws and Strazel was off target on his long three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. In the first overtime of the tournament, Strazel and Sam Mbaka both made free throws to even the game and with the game on the line, Strazel converted a layup with 0.2 seconds left for the win.