U18 Next Generation Select Team secured a spot in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Championship Game as it fought back from 14 points down to beat U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 83-82 and remain perfect in Group B of the ANGT Finals. NGS decided the game with a 15-2 late run and survived missing four free throws in the final 4.6 seconds. NGS will face off against U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade on Saturday to decide the 2022 ANGT champion. Illan Pietrus led the way with 17 points, Zacharie Perrin picked up 12 points and Alexandros Samontourov scored 10 points. ASVEL dropped to 1-1 despite Kymany Houinsou collecting 17 points and 10 rebounds while Zaccharie Risacher scored 16 points, Killian Malwaya had 13 points and Romain Parmentelot chipped in 9 points and 10 assists.
Championship Game set: NGS beats ASVEL, sets date with Mega
Malwaya scored the first points of the game for ASVEL with Luka Krajnovic’s three-point play giving NGS its first lead 5-2. After Krajnovic tallied four more points for an 11-7 lead, Francois Wibaut and Houinsou both hit triples in a 3-10 surge to put ASVEL ahead 14-17. NGS reclaimed the lead 18-17 only to see ASVEL mount a 1-9 spurt to make it 19-26. The score was 22-26 after 10 minutes.
The ASVEL push continued in the second quarter, allowing just one score in the first 4 minutes and Noam Yaacov scored seven points for 24-37 lead. NGS was twice able to cut the gap to nine points but Wibaut converted a three-point play and the cushion was up to 30-44. The teams went into the break with ASVEL up 35-44.
ASVEL kept up its defensive pressure and four points from Malwaya had the French side up 39-52. NGS tried to get back into the game and a Pietrus three-point play and dunk from Samontourov cut the deficit to 50-56. Yaacov countered with a three-point play and ASVEL led 52-59 after 30 minutes.
After Malwaya put-back increased the lead to 53-62, NGS got back into the game with Zinedine Mulic scoring five points, including the triple to make it 63-64. Risacher answered from deep and two Houinsou foul shots had the lead at 63-69. Pietrus took command with two three-pointers among his six points and an assist in a 15-2 run to put NGS ahead 80-73 with 47 seconds left. ASVEL refused to die with Houinsou converting six free throws in a span of 12 seconds and it was 80-79 with 22 seconds to play. Pietrus only split two free throws but Houinsou could not hit his layup at the other end to miss a chance to tie the game. Perrin secured the rebound and then calmly hit two free throws with 10 seconds remaining as it was two-possession game 83-79. Risacher kept his team alive with a three-pointer with 6.0 seconds before sending Mohamed Diawara to the line with 4.6 seconds to play. He missed both but Samontourov grabbed the offensive rebound only to miss two foul shots himself, Luis Garcia snatching the offensive rebound and locking up the victory.