ASVEL and Villeneuve d’Ascq almost in the semi-finals of the Eurocup

Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365, published on Thursday February 23, 2023 at 10:17 p.m.

Thanks to its victory of thirty points over Angers, ASVEL has nine toes in the last four of the Eurocup. Ditto for Villeneuve d’Ascq against Zaragoza. In Euroleague, Basket Landes went to win a game without stake against Sopron.

Three French clubs are participating in the quarter-finals of the Eurocup, and two of them can still dream of succeeding Bourges, winner of the second cup in the continental hierarchy last year. ASVEL and Villeneuve d’Ascq have indeed taken a huge step towards the last four, thanks to their big victory in the first leg of the quarter-finals. The Lyonnaises received this Thursday their compatriots from Angers. Far superior to the Angevines in the league (2nd against 10th), the players of Lyon-ASVEL confirmed on the European scene, with an 88-58 victory. Angers held for the first seven minutes, then completely broke down, finding themselves trailing 54-29 at half-time, then 80-44 at the half-hour mark. Fortunately for the players from Maine-et-Loire, the Lyonnaises loosened the noose in the last quarter, where they scored only eight points (8-14). Gabby Williams finished with 18 points and Sandrine Gruda with 16 in this one-sided match (12pts for Nabala Fofana on the Angers side) and here is almost ASVEL in the half.

A half ASVEL – Villeneuve d’Ascq?

And in the semi-finals, the Lyonnaises have a very good chance of facing… Villeneuve d’Ascq, as the draw has already designated. The Northerners have largely beaten Zaragoza with a score of 84-68, which should shelter them for the return match in Spain. Like ASVEL, the ESBVA girls led the whole match: 24-13 at the end of the first quarter, 45-26 at halftime and 66-47 at the half hour mark. Kamiah Smalls (21pts) and Hind Ben Abdelkader (14pts) carried the northern club, which hopes not to suffer a “rise” next week. For the third French club engaged this Thursday in the European Cup, there was however no issue. Basket Landes has long been eliminated from the race for the quarter-finals in the Euroleague, but the Landes club (7th in group B) won for the honor in Sopron (3rd), the club of Olivia Epoupa (5pts, 4rbds) during the penultimate day of the group stage. A 59-62 victory with notably 16 points and 9 rebounds from Regan Magarity and 14 points and 7 assists from Céline Dumerc. Basket Landes will conclude their European season against fellow Hungarians, Miskolc, next week.