Eurobasket B controlled BNP Parisbas 55-32 at Lux Gare, breaking the game open with a dominant second quarter and closing decisively in the fourth.
After a tight 7-6 first period highlighted by a Valentin Mitov (EURB) triple, a reply from deep by Samuel Mathurin Tchantio Kombiwo (BNP), and a late three by Laurent Olislager (EURB) the home side surged. Early in the second quarter, Eurobasket B strung together a 13-0 run to turn 11-8 into 24-8. Nikolaos Panagos (EURB) started it at the line, then Rimgaudas Greicius (EURB) caught fire, pouring in seven consecutive team points (two free throws, a three, and a two) before Domas Savickas (EURB) and Greicius added more. A pair of technical fouls Maxime Detourbe (BNP) and Konstantinos Ntontis (EURB) punctuated a chippy spell, but EURB still won the quarter 21-5 for a 28-11 halftime lead.
BNP's best stretch came after the break. Vivien Sanna (BNP) hit back-to-back baskets and Tchantio added a three, trimming the deficit, but Savickas and Greicius answered to keep the gap intact at 36-20 after three. Early in the fourth, BNP produced a 6-0 burst (Tchantio from deep, Mendim Balaj at the line and Detourbe inside) to get within 38-26. Coach Svajunas Piepolis' Eurobasket B then closed with a 15-2 run, fueled by threes from Greicius and Svajunas Piepolis (EURB) and steady inside work, pushing the highest lead to +25 at 55-30.
Greicius (EURB) led all scorers with 23 points, including three triples and six makes inside the arc, setting the tone in the second quarter and sealing it late. Support came from Savickas (EURB) with 8, Piepolis (EURB) with 7, and five apiece from Marc Van Eechaute (EURB) and Olislager (EURB). For BNP, Tchantio (BNP) scored 13 with three threes, Sanna (BNP) added 10, while Detourbe (BNP) had 4 and Balaj (BNP) 3. Balaj picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and two more late, and Tchantio committed multiple P2 fouls, which weighed on BNP's rotations. Coach Jérôme Vergendo's time-outs slowed momentum briefly, but Eurobasket B's bursts in Q2 and Q4 decided the night.
(AI generated)