NANTERRE, France, APRIL 25, 2017: Nanterre 92 have been crowned 2017 FIBA Europe Cup champions, defeating fellow French team Elan Chalon 82-79 on Tuesday evening, for the 140-137 win on aggregate score.
The victory for Nanterre 92 marks their second piece of silverware in a week, having claimed the French Cup on Saturday, and the second time they have won a European title, the previous coming in 2015 when they won the EuroChallenge.
The two sides arrived at the return leg in a stalemate, having tied the opening game 58-58. It was immediately obvious that the second meeting would be more of a high-scoring affair as Nanterre, spurred on by the 3,000-strong sold-out home crowd, made seven of their first eight three-pointers to be leading by as much as 14 points.
Nanterre 92, However, much like on the first leg, when they had gone down by 15 points, Elan Chalon came storming back in the second half, taking the lead on a Moustapha Fall jump-shot to begin fourth-quarter scoring. But Nanterre immediately took the lead back and retained it for the remainder of the game.
Axel Bouteille had the opportunity to force overtime on the last play of the night, but his downtown shot was found wanting, sending the partisan Nanterre crowd into raptures.
The FIBA European club season draws to a close this weekend in Tenerife, Spain, when home team Iberostar Tenerife host AS Monaco (FRA), Banvit (TUR) and Umana Reyer Venezia (ITA) in the inaugural Basketball Champions League Final Four. For all Basketball Champions League action, click HERE. —- FIBA
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