Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz held its nerve down the stretch to secure a 78-73 victory over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Friday night at Buesa Arena.
The Round 21 EuroLeague clash unfolded as a physical and low-scoring battle, with both teams struggling to establish rhythm early. Baskonia eventually found separation before halftime and entered the break with a nine-point advantage.
That cushion did not last long. ASVEL responded with urgency after the interval, ramping up defensive pressure and pushing the pace in transition to briefly move in front midway through the third quarter.
The contest tightened further in the final period, which developed into a tense exchange of half-court possessions. Neither side managed to build momentum, and the score remained level for long stretches.
Baskonia finally regained control through timely execution in the closing minutes. A pair of crucial late baskets allowed the hosts to pull away just enough to close out the win and improve their record to 8-13.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot led the way against his former club, finishing with 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. His scoring punch proved decisive in a game where clean looks were difficult to come by.
The offensive burden was shared across the roster. Trent Forrest added 11 points, Kobi Simmons scored 10, and every active player reached the scoresheet in a balanced team effort.
Eugene Omoruyi made his impact on the glass, collecting eight rebounds while adding seven points. Baskonia finished with 35 rebounds and limited second-chance opportunities despite ASVEL matching them on the boards.
ASVEL was led by Bastien Vautier, who scored 14 points on efficient interior finishing. Paul Eboua contributed 12 points, while Nando De Colo’s absence was evident following his recent move to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
The French side dropped to 6-15 and remained winless on the road this season. Baskonia, meanwhile, earned a valuable home result in a tightly packed standings race.
ASVEL will face league leaders Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv next Friday. Baskonia travels to Türkiye to take on Anadolu Efes Istanbul one day earlier.
