U18 PFYM INSEP Paris rolled to a comfortable 76-50 victory over U18 AX Armani Exchange Milan to tip off its Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Varese campaign. The two-time continental champion PFYM, which did not participate in the competition last season, raced away with a 20-2 run in the second quarter and never looked back in the Group B game. Mael Hamon Crespin paced PFYM with 20 points and 7 rebounds while Rayan Rupert collected 15 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals and Melvin Ajinca picked up 12 points and 7 rebounds. The margin could have been even larger had PFYM not converted just 23-of-38 free throws (60.5%) and hit just 3-of-22 three-pointers (13.6%). Lionel Abega scored 14 points, Samuele Miccoli had 11 points and Andrea Leoni chipped in 10 points for Milan, which committed 26 turnovers.
PFYM rolls past Milan in opener, 76-50
Marco Restelli started the scoring for Milan while Hamon Crespin followed with the next seven points at the other end. Milan picked up the next six points to reclaim the lead only to see Hamon Crespin pick up five more points in a 13-5 surge to put PFYM up 20-13. Lionel Abega hit a three-pointer for Milan and the Italian side trailed 24-19 after 10 minutes. Milan could not get anything going offensively in the second quarter, going nearly 3 minutes before an Abega layup snapped an 6-0 run before Ajinca hit two three-pointers early on in a 14-0 surge for a 44-21 advantage, which was 44-23 at halftime.
Leoni tallied the first five points of the second half but Ajinca countered with four points in an 8-0 run as PFYM seized control again. A Miccoli three-pointer trimmed the deficit to 20 points - 56-36 - and it was 63-41 after 30 minutes. Little changed in the fourth quarter as even PFYM’s reserves limiting Milan’s offense and the French side rolling to the win.