Paris Levallois holds on for crucial victory over CAI Zaragoza


Paris Levallois edged CAI Zaragoza 90-87 for a crucial group A victory on Tuesday in the French capital. Blake Schilb starred with 25 points and Mike Green amassed 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists for the winners, who improved to 3-3. CAI dropped to 2-4 with the loss. Green and Paris started hot, racing out to a 29-15 lead before Stevan Jelovac and Rasko Katic scored all of CAI’s points in a 4-16 charge that carried the visitors back into the game. It was 44-43 at halftime and the team’s traded leads in the third before Paris ended the quarter on a 7-0 run for a 70-63 lead on a Schilb three. CAI got within2 in the closing seconds, but missed shots to go ahead and to tie as Paris held on for the victory. Sharrod Ford added 15 points and Mlaye Ndoye 10 for Paris. Katic and Jelovac finished with 15 each for CAI. Chris Goulding scored 14, Kevin Lisch totaled 13 points and 7 assists, Pere Tomas netted 12 points and Marcus Landry 11.

Paris started strong as Green nailed a three, came up with a steal and sank free throws to make it 5-0. Schilb added a triple before Tomas scored twice for Zaragoza to trim the gap to 8-6. The hosts did not let down with Ford scoring a basket-plus-foul and Nicolas Lang connecting on a three-pointer. Landing Sane scored twice to make it 18-10 midway through the quarter. Tomas remained CAI’s go-to guy with a bucket on the offensive glass and 2 free throws. Ndoye heated up with a pair of threes to give the hosts a double-digit lead, 26-15. Green added a three-point play before Jelovac’s three-pointer and Katic inside helped keep CAI in the picture at 31-20 after 10 minutes. That duo took over for the visitors with another Jelovac triple and Katic scoring from Jelovac’s assist. After Green’s layup, Katic scored 4 more points and Jelovac drew CAI within 33-31. Dionte Christmas’s steal led to a Schilb layup. Green added a layup and then a steal for a Ford bucket to get in front by 5. Free throws by Goulding and Jelovac narrowed to gap again and Lisch made it 41-40 from the line. Schilb answered with a three, but Landry matched him to make it 44-43 at the break.

Lisch drained a pair of threes early in the second half. The first tied the game and the second gave CAI a 48-49 lead. The lead went back and forth on threes from Schilb and Goulding. Sane nailed a triple to put the hosts up 4, but CAI reeled off three quick baskets to lead 58-60 and Henk Norel’s jumper. Ford countered for Paris before Goulding tied the score at 63-63 with his second three of the night. Paris finished the quarter with an open 7-0 run that included Schilb’s fourth three of the game. Pedro Llompart nailed a three to start the fourth quarter and bring CAI within 70-66. Schilb scored twice to keep Paris ahead, but a Landry three made it 74-72. Green hit a big three with five minutes to go to give the hosts an 8-point cushion. Jelovac and Landry soon had CAI back within a shot. Baskets by Christmas and Schilb protected the lead. Lisch free throws made it 84-79 with a minute to go. Tomas closed the gap to 2 and Lisch had chances to win it or tie it in the closing seconds, but missed twice.