The versatile forward posted a career-high 22 points to propel the French team to victory
Bourg leaned on Maxime Salash and backcourt duo to subdue Cedevita
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Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse survived a late Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana onslaught for a vital 87-82 win behind a career-high 22 points and 7 boards from Maxime Salash in a thrilling BKT EuroCup clash.
The backcourt pairing of Hugo Benitez and Xavier Castaneda were also instrumental in the success, as the guards scored 14 points apiece to complement Salash’s efforts.
The outcome kept Bourg in the playoff picture with two regular season rounds remaining, as the French team improved to 9-7 and stayed in contention for the runner-up spot which guarantees an automatic quarterfinal berth.
Cedevita, on the other hand, dropped to 10-6 and must now win both its remaining games to make sure of finishing second in Group B, behind runaway leader Valencia Basket which is assured of clinching the group.
Salash, who averages 10.8 points per game, shined throughout as he shot 8 of 11 from the floor and 4 of 5 from the foul line in 20 minutes on the court, providing the edge Bourg needed against a physical and athletic Cedevita outfit.
The 28-year-old from Belarus was unstoppable on offense while he also constituted a wall at the other end, managing a pair of steals too as Bourg ultimately prevailed on the back of ironclad defense in the second and third quarters.
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Third-quarter offense was also vital, with the home team winning that period 30-17 and eventually holding on after Cedevita had launched a spirited late fightback which fell short.
“It was a tough game but we stayed solid throughout as we corrected some first-half mistakes and played better in the second,” a delighted Salash said in his postgame comments.
“The whole team performed today and it was more about defense than offense, but I am glad I scored some points. We have two very important games left in the fight for the playoff spots,” he added.
Coach Frederic Fauthoux was also pleased with the result ahead of the clutch games against Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem at home and Valencia away.
“We played great defense, especially on their in-form player Brynton Lemar, as we did a good job on him,” he said. “We struggled in the last 3 minutes of the game but we controlled the rebounds and it’s a great victory.”
Lemar was limited to 8 points as he shot 0 of 5 from downtown, with Cedevita making just 6 of 17 from deep against Bourg’s aggressive defense on the perimeter.
The Slovenian team is at home to Valencia in a Round 17 blockbuster before closing out its regular season campaign at Veolia Towers Hamburg.