By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The plan for Le Mans is Matt Lewis scoring points. The 24-year-old guard was punctual in delivering a new individual high in Europe, sending his side to the Play-In stage of the Basketball Champions League.
In his third professional campaign since coming out of James Madison as the Coastal Athletic Association Player of the Year in 2021, Lewis joined MSB. Carrying the experience of two productive campaigns in the G League with the Iowa Wolves and averaging 11.2 points per game in the 2023 NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas, he emerged as the man with a plan in the city of northwestern France.
Leading his side to the road win against Peristeri bwin on Wednesday, he logged 22 points with 3/3 two-pointers, 4/4 three-pointers, and 4/4 free throws. An effective display similar to only three other players across BCL history. Lithuanian Simas Jasaitis in 2018, Italian Michele Vitali in 2021, and Russian Ivan Strebkov in 2021 made the previous scorching showings with at least 20 points without missing a single shot from the field or the charity stripe.
“It was a hard-fought game. We kind of started the game slow. We fought, played hard the entire game, and we were able to come out with a win,” Lewis described the team outing in Peristeri Arena.
Le Mans locked up the second seed of Group A to secure the homecourt advantage in a best-of-three Play-In series, a perk to potentially progress to the Round of 16.
From Las Vegas to Le Mans
Suiting up for the Brooklyn Nets in five games of the Summer League, Lewis made 54.1% from the field, including 45.8% from beyond the arc. Piling up 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.2 blocks per contest convinced the French club to end the search for a suitable replacement for longtime leader Terry Tarpey and sign him to a one-year contract. Replacing the French-American swingman, his resume featured a productive scorer with an emphasis on contributing to the team effort.
Playing overseas for the first time in his career, Lewis improved to 14 points per contest and 69.4% from the field with an outstanding display in Greece. Over five appearances in the BCL, he has additionally averaged 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.4 blocks, and 0.2 blocks per game. In France’s Betclic Elite, he has 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.1 blocks per contest over 14 games played, including eight starts under the guidance of Elric Delord.
His final NCAA season ended prematurely due to a knee injury in February, damaging NBA draft hopes. Working out to recover and determined to improve in multiple areas as a pro, pursuing the best possible options led him to the city famous for hosting the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Adjusting to a new culture and different rules is a challenge for any player but seems to be a completed task, especially judging from his most recent showing.
Round of 16 sweepstakes
Proudly carrying a rich history in European club continental competitions over multiple decades, MSB resurfacing in the BCL is one step away from returning to the Round of 16. Ranking among the top 16 teams of the inaugural installment in 2016-17 was the reward for topping Group B of the Regular Season behind a 9-5 W-L tally. At the receiving end of a sweep in a home-and-away series opposite Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari, the run stopped. Back to the Round of 16 in 2018-19, future champion Virtus Segafredo Bologna ended the campaign.
Fast forward to the ongoing continental expedition, the five-time champions in France digging their way out of a 15-point hole against Peristeri was the biggest comeback in team history in the Champions League. The deficit peaked in the second quarter. Kenny Williams exiting with an injury and disrupting the team coached by Vassilis Spanoulis opened the door. Lewis was refusing to miss and DeVante’ Jones tallied 17 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to seal the deal in Athens.
Packing 31 points in the last ten minutes, Le Mans went over 30 points in a single quarter of the BCL for the third time, following two similar occasions against Avtodor in the 2016-17 season. It also recorded the most points in the fourth period by any French team in league history.
At Arena Savaria, MSB completes the round-robin double-legged schedule of the Regular Season versus eliminated Falco Vulcano Szombathely on December 19. From there to the best-of-three Play-In series in January to compete for a third berth in the Round of 16.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League