Villeurbanne snatches late victory at Gravelines
Villeurbanne snatched an 81-80 victory at Gravelines-Dunkerque, deciding a contest that went down to the wire. The visitors managed to turn the tide after trailing by four points at halftime (42-38), seizing control with a decisive 25-17 third quarter to enter the final period with a four-point lead (59-63). Despite struggling with their shooting (40% FG, 18% 3P), Lyon-Villeurbanne established an advantage through superior rebounding (47 to 38) and a perfect 85% free-throw shooting performance.
César Thenawha Nougha battled for a valuable double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds), and Liham Eleka provided 20 points off the bench, but it wasn't enough against the resilience of Lorenz Sanz, who posted 17 points and 6 rebounds, and Arthur Gruszka, contributing 10 points and 9 boards from the bench. The game was fiercely contested, with Villeurbanne committing 18 turnovers to Gravelines' 15, yet Sanz's playmaking (4 assists) and the interior presence of Gruszka and Noha Sylves (8 rebounds) ultimately tipped the scales. This loss places Gravelines-Dunkerque 10th and Villeurbanne 14th in the Leaders Cup standings.