Rīgas Zeļļi Lose to Direct Rival Le Mans in Eurocup

Latvian basketball club Rīgas Zeļļi lost 65:71 at home to France's Le Mans on Wednesday in round six of the Eurocup, the second-tier European club basketball competition. Both teams are fighting in Group A for a top-four place, which brings a spot in the knockout stage, so the defeat is a setback for the Riga side. Quarter scores were 27:18, 13:10, 9:19 and 16:24.

How the game unfolded

The visitors opened with a 5:0 run, but the hosts responded quickly. In the first quarter Toms Skuja helped build a 22:15 lead, and after ten minutes Rīgas Zeļļi were ahead 27:18. In the second quarter Ben Shungu restored a double-digit margin, and the hosts won the first half 40:28.

Midway through the third quarter, after a basket by Tyler Wall, the lead reached 13 points, but Le Mans came back sharply, and before the final quarter the gap was only two points (49:47). In the fourth quarter the French side levelled the score, took the lead and extended it. Tony Perkins cut the deficit to five points with a three-pointer (60:65) and to three with free throws (62:65). With four seconds left Shungu made it 65:68, but Jordan King sealed the visitors' win with free throws.

Top scorers

For the Riga team, Skuja scored most with 13 points. Wall added 12 points and seven rebounds, Shungu 11 and Perkins 10. For the opposition, Leopold Delaunay scored 13 and Luke Diffell 11.

Group standings

After six games, Hapoel Jerusalem lead Group A with six wins, followed by Aris Thessaloniki with five. Le Mans, Derthona Tortona and Rīgas Zeļļi each have three wins. Rostock Seawolves have two, while Olimpija Ljubljana and San Pablo Burgos have one each.

In the main stage, 32 teams play in four groups in a two-leg format, and the top four in each group advance to the knockout stage. Rīgas Zeļļi are the first Latvian club to compete in the Eurocup since 2015. Last season the competition was won by France's Bourg-en-Bresse.