Le Mans hosts Alba Berlin for the second time this with big stakes for both teams. Berlin outlasted Le Mans in a home-and-away series in the Euroleague Qualifying Rounds at the start of the season and now they will open up the Eurocup Last 16 against each other. Le Mans edged Berlin 61-60 thanks to Marc Salyers 28-point effort in the opening leg, but Berlin used a well-balanced team effort to blast Le Mans by 15 in the second leg and advance. However that was a long time ago. Since then, Berlin missed out on the Euroleague by losing to Maroussi, but cruised through the Eurocup regular season with five wins and just one less to win Group A. Meanwhile Le Mans needed a Week 6 victory over Power Electronics Valencia to advance from second place in Group B. Both teams boast deep rotations, however Le Mans is more dependent upon its top players than Berlin seems to be. Shooting guard Dee Spencer, the regular season scoring runner-up, power forward Salyers, center J.P. Batista and playmaker Zach Wright are Le Mans head coach J.D. Jacksons biggest weapons. Berlin will try to match up position for position with stars of its own. Julius Jenkins counters Spencer, Jurica Golemac awaits Salyers, the duo of Blagota Sekulic and Adam Chubb face Batista and Rashad Wright goes against Zach Wright. Swingman Immanuel McElroy, Albas top player this season, will face athletic Le Mans forward Maleye Ndoye in another important matchup. Rising star Antoine Diot could be a X-factor off the bench for the home team, while Berlin head coach Luka Pavicevic may look to veteran guard Steffen Hamann and forward Dragan Dojcin to make the difference in a close game. The numbers point to a fast-paced fun-to-watch game with lots of three-pointers that could well come down to who has the host hand in the end.
REFEREES: Jose Ramon García Ortíz, Oscar Perea, Renaud Geller