Fiat stays unbeaten, downs Levallois

Newcomer Fiat Turin remained undefeated, registering its second road win of the competition, holding off Levallois Metropolitans 73-79 on Wednesday night. Fiat improved to 3-0 in a share of first place in Group A with Darussafaka, while Levallois dropped to 0-3, in the last place. Diante Garrett led the visitors with 22 points, and Lamar Patterson had all-round contributions with 15 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Sasha Vujacic netted 11, and Trevor Mbakwe scored 10 points in a victory. Gavin Ware had 15 points and 7 rebounds for the hosts, and Boris Diaw collected 11 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Klemen Prepelic netted 13, and Sylvain Francisco 12 points in defeat.

Of Fiat’s first four field goals, three were scored on a fast break, and one was a second chance basket by Antonio Iannuzzi. Diaw had a couple of baskets for the hosts that helped tie it at 9-9, but a three-pointer from Vujacic and a three-point play from Mbakwe opened 11-17 margin. A triple from Onyenma Nwaelele late in the first and a three from Francisco early in the second gave the hosts 19-18 lead. Two teams stayed close. Prepelic and David Okeke traded three-pointers, before Prepelic’s jumper helped make it 28-28. Ivan Fevrier briefly put the hosts in front again, but a pair of baskets from Patterson and a three-pointer from Vujacic gave Fiat another lead, and Patterson’s last second tip-in made it 34-40 at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Patterson and Garrett scored 5 points apiece, including Patterson’s three-point play and Garrett’s steal and a fastbreak layup that opened 41-52 lead. Veterans Diaw and Pietrus cut the deficit, and a triple from Francisco helped get the hosts within 51-55. But Andre Jones and Garrett hit triples that had Fiat up 53-64 at the end of three quarters. A three-point play from Ware and a triple from Prepelic kept Levallois in range. Louis Campbell’s second-chance corner triple, and Diaw’s basket in low-post, helped tie it at 69-69 with 3:50 to go. But Mbakwe scored inside, then rejected Ware’s dunk attempt, before Garrett hit a triple to give Fiat more breathing room. Mbakwe’s basket extended it to 70-77, and there was no coming back again for the hosts.

In Round 4, Fiat hosts Darussafaka Istanbul while Levallois travels to visit MoraBanc Andorra.