Advantage Anwil: Hosts edge Finals first leg thriller

MUNICH (Germany) - Anwil Wloclawek opened the FIBA Europe Cup Finals with an 81-77 victory over Cholet Basket in the first leg on Wednesday evening.

It was a back and forth battle in Poland as the two teams spent the entire game within striking distance of one another - the fourth quarter started with only a single-point difference between the teams - with Anwil taking a slender advantage into next week.

Turning Point: Anwil jumped out to a 11-2 start, while Cholet responded to lead by as many as eight points inside the first half. With five and a half minutes to go in the game, Anwil moved in front following a Dominic Artis turnover. Another turnover by Cholet led to a Josip Sobin basket as Anwil were able to close out the victory, though Artis' late triple cut the gap to four points.

Game Hero(es): Phillip Greene was his usual hot shooting, high scoring self as he led all scorers with 20 points, including 5-of-8 three-point shooting. His teammate Malik Williams produced perhaps his best performance of the season with 12 points along with 9 rebounds. Meanwhile, Artis and Boris Dallo combined for 36 points for the visitors.

Stats Don't Lie: In a tight game, there's no doubt that every shot counts. Anwil hit 13 threes against Cholet's eight. The French side's 62.5-percent two-point conversion rate wasn't enough to counter Anwil's three-point threat.

Bottom Line: The Polish side took care of business at home, but Cholet can certainly keep their heads held high and be confident heading to France for the decider. The FIBA Europe Cup finale should prove to be another thriller based on tonight's example.

FIBA