By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
ASVEL Villeurbanne won on the road for a second time this EuroLeague season by beating Olympiacos Piraeus 69 – 63 to snap a four-game losing streak.
Guerschon Yabusele scored 19 points (the only player of his team in double figures) to lead a defensively excellent ASVEL. TJ Parker’s players used their athleticism and size to full effect to “strangle” the Reds and force them to their second-lowest scoring game this eason.
Aaron Harrison had 13 points, Shaq McKissic scored 11 and Vassilis Spanoulis 10 for Olympiacos that played without forward Kostas Papanikolaou and center Hassan Martin. The hosts looked out of energy and concentration following a big away win over Maccabi Tel Aviv Wednesday, suffering immensely from their opponents’ tough defense and failing to connect to the basket from long range (7-24 3-pointers).
After a balanced first half (33-34) ASVEL established a steady lead, pushing back every single effort of its opponents. Each time Olympiacos tried to approach, the French team had an answer and their response was definite down the stretch when Moustapha Fall gave his team a double-digit lead, 53 – 63 with three minutes remaining.
Olympiacos couldn’t hope to come back from this without some big shots and the team never found them, as ASVEL preserved an advantage over two possessions until the final horn sounded.
Apart from Yabusele, David Lighty contributed nine points, five rebounds and four assists. Derrick Walton also dropped nine points.