BCM Hang On To Defeat Dyson, Hapoel

42 points in vain: Hapoel's Jerome Dyson

BCM Gravelines pulled away in the second half and then held on at the death to consign Hapoel Holon to a third straight defeat in the EuroChallenge Last 16, 86-80, putting themselves firmly in the mix at the top of Group J.

Jerome Dyson accounted for more than half of Hapoel's points but it was not enough for their first win in the Last 16.

Gravelines broke a tight game open in the second half, with a 12-2 run turning a one-point deficit into a 54-45 lead when Abdoulaye Mbaye hit a three-pointer with 2:59 left in the third period.

Hapoel - almost entirely dependent on Jerome Dyson and Franklin Hassell to do their scoring - fought back, and the lead was 57-53 when Hassell made a lay-up to start the fourth quarter.

However, Gravelines moved clear once more as Julius Johnson found his range from three-point territory, his second in quick succession making it 69-58.

Hapoel did not give up and once more closed the gap back to four, with Dyson hitting a three and then two free throws which made it 71-67 with 2:35 left.

BCM's most efficient force on the night was Dwight Buycks, with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists

The fightback was still on, and although Johnson followed his third three-pointer with a pair of free throws, Dyson led another Hapoel charge, and two threes in the space of 10 seconds as time ticked down made it 82-80 with just seven seconds left.

Dwight Buycks went to the line for Gravelines and held his nerve to make both shots with five seconds on the clock, and then a turnover from Lawrence Hill was punished as Cyril Akpomedah settled it with a jump-shot on the buzzer.

Buycks led Gravelines with 15 points while Yannick Bokolo had 14 and Johnson 11.

Dyson poured in 42 points while Hassell collected 24 with 12 rebounds - together accounting for 82.5% of Hapoel's points.

Hill got most of the rest with 13, while also collecting nine rebounds and six assists.

The only other player to register for Hapoel was Dominic Waters, with just one point.

The result leaves Gravelines with a 2-1 record, level with both Paris Levallois and Szolnoki Olaj.

Quotes BCM Gravelines vs. Hapoel Holon

Hapoel Holon head coach Dan Shamir
"We came here in a pretty tough situation with only 6 players available, I can't be mad at anybody. We played hard but came out short. We had a long trip to come here and we played two days ago? We did our best, congratulations to Gravelines."

Hapoel Holon player Jerome Dyson
"It was a tough game, they made key plays when they had to and we didn't rebound the way we could have. We gave them some easy buckets, it's hard." 

BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque playe Yannick Bokolo
"We found some solutions when they tried to slow the game and Dyson was on fire tonight. We have to keep working now to make sur we'll qualify."

BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque head coach Christian Monschau
"It's an important victory after our trip to Nancy in the French League. Dyson's awesome performance from long range disturbed our organisation but we made a good job agaisnt a tough team."

Quotes BCM Gravelines vs. Hapoel Holon

Hapoel Holon head coach Dan Shamir
"We came here in a pretty tough situation with only 6 players available, I can't be mad at anybody. We played hard but came out short. We had a long trip to come here and we played two days ago? We did our best, congratulations to Gravelines."

Hapoel Holon player Jerome Dyson
"It was a tough game, they made key plays when they had to and we didn't rebound the way we could have. We gave them some easy buckets, it's hard." 

BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque playe Yannick Bokolo
"We found some solutions when they tried to slow the game and Dyson was on fire tonight. We have to keep working now to make sur we'll qualify."

BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque head coach Christian Monschau
"It's an important victory after our trip to Nancy in the French League. Dyson's awesome performance from long range disturbed our organisation but we made a good job agaisnt a tough team."