Nancy edges visiting Spirou

In a hard fought game between two previously winless teams, SLUC Nancy edged Proximus Spirou Charleroi 67-63 on Wednesday night. Nancy improved to 1-3 in fifth place, while Spirou sits at 0-4 in the last place of Group C. Nancy went in front 57-46 with a 14-0 run that ended the third quarter and started off the fourth, but Spirou responded with a 3-15 run to regain the lead. However, in the final 3 minutes, the hosts made 7 of 8 free throws and pulled out a victory. Bandja Sy paced Nancy with 15 points, Andy Panko and Morris Curry each netted 12, while Alando Tucker scored 10. Florent Pietrus grabbed 11 rebounds in victory as Nancy outrebounded Spirou 43-32. For the visitors, Billy Baron was the only one in double figures with 17 points, and also dished 7 assists. Jimmy Baron scored 9 in defeat.

Fast breaks from Billy Baron and Pavel Pumperla got Spirou to a better start and 2-8. A put-back from Kevin Tumba had the visitors at 6-11 lead, but baskets from Curry, Tucker and James Bell had Nancy cut it to 13-15. At the start of the second quarter, Sy tied it at 17-17, but Jimmy and Billy Baron put the visitors back in front. After Panko and Billy Baron traded triples, consecutive put-backs from Panko and Pietrus tied it at 26-26. Jimmy Baron hit a triple for Spirou, Curry nailed one for the hosts, before Billy Baron scored in the final seconds to make it 31-33 at halftime.

In the early going of the third quarter, Jordan Heath hit from long range for the visitors, but Curry's triple made it 36-36, and Panko's three put Nancy ahead 40-38. Pumprla had a three-point play, and Sacha Massot a three-pointer that gave Spirou 43-46, but Sy strung together 6 points to spark a run for the hosts. Tucker added a basket-plus-foul, and Sy finished the quarter off with a three-pointer and 55-46 at the end of the third. Randal Falker made it an 11-point contest to start the fourth, but Loic Schwartz and Maxime Gaudoux hit back-to-back triples for Spirou, Billy Baron scored on consecutive possessions, before another three from Gaudoux and a basket from Heath put the visitors in front 60-61 with under 3 minutes to go in the fourth. But Benjamin Sene hit 3 of 4 from the line, and Sy made a pair of free throws for 65-61 with 90 seconds left. The visitors just managed two free throws from Billy Baron, and Sy sealed the deal in the final seconds.