By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A loss would mean Cholet Basket’s hopes to make it to the Basketball Champions League quarterfinals are over. With their backs against the wall, the players of the French side survived.
After trailing for most of the match, Tofas Bursa found a way to make it an even game in the last moments, but Cholet prevailed and improved to 2-2 in the Round of 16 with a 77-74 victory. These two sides are now tied, but the Turkish side kept the head-to-head advantage.
Talented Tidjane Salaun led the winning side with 15 points, scoring some of the biggest shots of the match in the final 10 minutes and grabbing six rebounds. Emmanuel Nzekwesi followed with 13 points, while Gerald Ayayi added 11 with seven assists for Cholet in the do-or-die game.
Austin Wiley’s great game wasn’t enough for Tofas, with the U.S. big man scoring 22 points, being just a rebound shy of a double-double, and recording a PIR of 30. Cassius Winston followed with 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists but took his time to find his rhythm, while Zeljko Sakic added 11, and J.J. O’Brien had 10 points for Orhun Ene’s team.
Cholet held Tofas to just seven points in the first 10 minutes, but their lead was only 34-27 after 20 minutes. Despite this, Cholet maintained control, entering the final period with a 57-44 lead and reaching 67-55 midway through the final quarter. Tofas, however, staged a comeback, tying the teams at 74 with 39 seconds left. In the crucial moments, Enzo Goudou-Sinha scored a layup, J.J. O’Brien missed a chance to tie, and Nathan De Sousa’s free throw gave Cholet a three-point lead. Caleb Homesley attempted a last-second shot but was blocked by De Sousa, securing Cholet’s victory.
Postgame press conference
Photo: fiba.basketball