Usak squander double-digit lead, hold off Nanterre

USAK (FIBA Europe Cup) - Muratbey Usak Sportif came out victorious against Nanterre 92 in the first leg of the FIBA Europe Cup Quarter-Finals in Turkey, but will be slightly disappointed about creating just a three-point cushion ahead of the return leg in France.

Having led by as many as 18 points in the first half, coach Ozan Bulkaz's side lost all of their momentum after intermission and had to settle for an 85-82 win at the end of the fourth quarter.

Shaquielle McKissic and Zach Auguste finished the game with 19 and 18 points respectively for Usak, but their stellar individual performances were overshadowed by the storyline of a big opportunity missed.

Turning Point: Although the French side finished the first half strong, they were still down by double figures for most of the third quarter. Their real breakthrough came during a stretch spanning the end of that third period and the start of the fourth. Nanterre were down 61-51 with just a minute left in the third, when Spencer Butterfield went on a spectacular solo run to take a big bite out of Usak's lead with a 10-1 spurt in just under two minutes of playing time.

Game Hero: Heiko Schaffartzik singlehandedly kept Nanterre's pulse alive in the first half, knocking down five hugely important three-pointers before the halftime break. The experienced 33-year-old German playmaker collected 17 points in the first two quarters, while the rest of the team combined for just 18 in the same timeframe. Although he did have a relatively quiet second half, Schaffartzik still finished the night with a game-high 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field.

Stats Don't Lie: The hosts started the game by making the first 9-of-10 shots from the field, but cooled down as the game went along. Particularly telling is the fact that Usak made just 1-of-13 attempts from three-point range after making the first three shots in the first quarter. Nevertheless, the Turkish side still enjoyed 58% shooting from the field in general, while Nanterre's overall shooting accuracy was only 43%.

Bottom Line: One can't help but feel that Nanterre will be the happier of the two sides about the final score of the game in Usak. Having already overturned a slight deficit at home in the Round of 16 against Proximus Spirou, coach Pascal Donnadieau and his side should be relatively comfortable in a similar situation against their Turkish rivals.

What They Said: "It was a tough game for us. We started the game well. That's why we had the 18-point difference, but we started taking difficult shots and making unforgivable mistakes in the second half. It's good that we won. We will go to France, knowing it's not as difficult of a road game as against Fenerbahce or Galatasaray in the Turkish League. Therefore, we will try to win the game and advance to the Semi-Finals." – Ozan Bulkaz, head coach of Muratbey Usak Sportif.

FIBA