Gescrap BB trounced SLUC Nancy 97-75

Gescrap Bilbao rejoined the Top 16 race in Group A by downing Sluc Nancy 97-75 at home on Wednesday. Both teams are now tied in Group A with a 3-4 record, but Gescrap managed to overcome its 14-point loss in Nancy to get the tie-break advantage if both teams remain tied at the end of the regular season. Alex Mumbru led 6 Gescrap players in double digits with 15 points. Janis Blums and Marko Banic each added 12, Raul Lopez and Aaron Jackson had 11 while Kostas Vasileadis got 10 for Gescrap. Jamal Shuler had 19 points to lead Nancy while Adrien Moerman added 16. A three-pointer by Roger Grimau tied the game, 22-22, after 10 minutes and a fast break layup by Pape-Philippe Amagou brought Nancy within 40-39 at halftime. Gescrap did not trail from that moment and an outstanding D'or Fischer allowed the hosts to get a 69-62 margin at the end of the third quarter. Nancy managed to get as close as 72-68 with 7 minutes left but Josh Fisher, Vasileadis and Banic fueled a 19-3 run that allowed Bilbao to seal a critical, important win.

Banic got Gescrap going with a layup and Blums struck from downtown for a 5-0 lead in just 45 seconds. Shuler answered from downtown but a driving layup by Mumbru gave his team a 7-3 lead. Akin Akingbala took over with a dunk but Mumbru singlehandedly boosted Gescrap's lead to 10-5. Mumbru kept pacing the hosts with an acrobatic basket but a turnaround jumper by Moerman and free throws by John Linehan kept Nancy within 12-9. Blums fired in his second three-pointer and Jackson added a layup off a steal to keep Gescrap out of trouble, 17-9. Moerman sank a baseline jumper off a timeout and a backdoor layup by Victor Samnick brought Nancy closer, 17-13. A three-pointer by Shuler forced Gescrap to stop the game, 17-16, after a 0-9 run. Dimitris Mavroeidis and Blums split free throws but Moerman struck from downtown in transition for a 19-19 tie. Kenny Grant and Grimau joined the three-point shootout to fix the score at 22-22 after 10 minutes.

Grant buried another three-pointer early in the second quarter to give Nancy a 22-25 edge. Mavroeidis made free throws but Amagou took over with a wild coast-to-coast layup for a 24-27 score. Lopez sank a five-meter jumper, as Gescrap improved its defense off a timeout. Banic beat the guests' matchup zone defense with a layup to put his team back ahead, 28-27. Moerman shocked the crowd with an eight-meter bomb but Lopez and Mumbru answered from downtown to set the crowd on fire at 34-30. Shuler stepped up with a fast break layup but Banic matched that with foul shots. Samnick shined with a dunk but a layup by D'Or Fischer gave Gescrap a 38-34 edge. Both teams had entered the foul bonus and kept playing physical to go to the free throw line often. Akingbala split foul shots and Blums did not miss for a 40-35 score. A jump hook by Akingbala and a fast break layup by Amagou allowed Nancy to get within 40-39 at halftime.

Blums split free throws right after the break but an alleyoop layup by Akingbala tied the game, 41-41. Blums kept pacing Gescrap with a jumper and a three-pointer by Jackson made his team get a 46-41 edge. Nancy had started to miss open shots but a layup by a rock-solid Akingbala kept the guests withim 46-43. Moerman buried a corner triple but Nancy entered the foul bonus right after that. Mumbru answered from downtown and Mavroeidis fed Banic for a layup that gave Gescrap some fresh air, 51-46. Moerman - who else? - nailed another three-pointer but Axel Hervelle rescued the hosts with a layup. Linehan quickly nailed a jumper in the other end but Lopez matched it with foul shots. Linehan did not miss from the foul line but Grimau answered from downtown for a 59-53 Gescrap edge. Shuler and Vasileadis joined the three-point shootout but Abder Kader Sylla and Lopez traded free throws for a 64-58 score. Shuler took over with consecutive baskets but Fischer followed a jumper with a wild dunk and soon added a free throw for a 69-62 Gescrap margin after 30 minutes.

Vasileadis sent the crowd to their feet with a corner three-pointer early in the fourth quarter, good for a double-digit Gescrap lead, 72-62. Nancy struggled to score for almost 2 minutes until Moussa Badiane took over with back-to-back dunks. Shuler added a floating layup to bring Nancy back to life, 72-68, with 7 minutes to go. Josh Fisher stepped up with a big triple and Jackson fed Fischer for a two-handed dunk that allowed Gescrap to extend its lead to 77-68. Fischer and Badiane were disqualified for fighting and action resumed with free throws by Amagou and Vasileadis. Banic scored down low and another corner three-pointer by Fisher sealed the outcome, 84-69, with 4 minutes left. Both teams now fought for points difference, as Nancy had registered a 14-point home win earlier on this season. Amagou hit free throws but back-to-back layups by Mumbru and Vasileadis made it an 18-point game, 89-71. By the time Banic finished a long Gescrap offense with a layup, everything was said and done already, as a sellout crowd in Bilbao was celebrating a critical, important win.