By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Tonye Jekiri scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to register his fourth double-double in five games as ASVEL Villeurbanne defeated Baskonia 66 – 63 to capture its third win in an equal number of matches in “Astroballe” this EuroLeague season.
Jekiri also scored the last three points of his team, all of them from the free-throw line. After the Senegalese center made it 66 – 63 with 1:03 remaining, Luca Vildoza failed in his game-tying attempt from beyond the arc. Charles Kahudi missed while wide open from beyond the arc on the other end and Vildoza took another triple to possibly force the overtime. He was off target.
“We just keep believing in ourselves. We just have to do little things right. Control the rebounds and make few turnovers,” Jekiri said after the game for EuroLeague TV.
Baskonia dropped 23 points in the first quarter but was forced to just 40 in the remainder of the match. Tornike Shengelia had 17 points plus seven rebounds and Youssoupha Fall 11 points plus seven boards as well for the Basque side that dropped to 2-3. Coach Velimir Perasovic‘s players were up 32 – 39 early in the third period until a 7-0 run by the hosts made the game close until the final horn.
Ismael Bako added 11 points and Antoine Diot 10 for ASVEL.
Unbeaten at home
After beating Olympiacos Piraeus and Panathinaikos Athens, ASVEL took a win over Baskonia in its arena. Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic is thoroughly enjoying this.
“The feeling is great, really, and congratulations to my guys and to all the fans that supported us,” Mitrovic said. “It was really a great atmosphere to have at home and I think that my players felt that energy and pushed them to play. First of all, amazing defense and not too bad offense, of course, so congrats to all of my guys for their big heart and big effort.”
Photo: EuroLeague Basketball