Villeurbanne (AFP)

Led at half-time 45-36, Villeurbanne reversed the situation to win at the expense of the Spanish club Vitoria 83 to 77, Wednesday at the Astroballe in the match of the 22nd day of the Euroleague.

This is the second consecutive success for Asvel who had beaten another Spanish club, Valencia, on January 21, still at home.

It is also the eighth victory for the Villeurbanne in the event for fourteen defeats, the third over the last four days, a record that allows them to climb to 14th place.

On the other side, Vitoria (13th) who conceded his fourth defeat in a row, his seventh in his last ten outings is in danger in the race for the play-off.

However, the Basque team started the match very well, notably flying over the first quarter won 26-17 under the leadership of the Franco-Senegalese giant Youssoupha Fall (2.21 m) author of his eleven points of the match in this part of the match.

Subsequently, it was Tonye Jekiri, former Asvel, who took over in the second quarter with 5 points, after which the score was still in favor of Vitoria (46-35).

But the men of TJ Parker, deprived of Guerschon Yabusele, injured in the back, and of Derrick Walton Jr, victim of a tear in a thigh, initially dominated in the interior play and lacking energy in defense but also insufficient on the 3 point shots (3/10) brought a vigorous reaction.

They won the third quarter (23-7) to lead 58-53 ten minutes from the end, Charles Kahudi equalizing in particular at 51-51 (28th) on a three-point throw against a Basque formation carried by Alec Peters ( 15 pts) and Achille Polonara (13 pts) but handicapped by the injury after half-time for Luca Vildoza (8 pts).

The Rhone, under the leadership of Norris Cole (20 pts), David Lighty (21 pts) or William Howard (10 pts), but without Moustapha Fall quickly penalized by faults like Ismaël Bako, managed to regain control over the match thanks in particular to better efficiency at three points in the third quarter (4/6).

In the last part of the match, Villeurbanne managed to keep their lead to win by six points.

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