CHALON-SUR-SAONE (FIBA Europe Cup) - The all-French contest for the FIBA Europe Cup crown between Elan Chalon and Nanterre 92 is very much in a deadlock, after the first 40 minutes of action in the first leg in Chalon-sur-Saone ended in status-quo.

With both teams hitting season lows in scoring, the numbers from this week's action weren't particularly big in the traditional sense. However, when you factor in the gravity of the situation, every single point in the Finals becomes a lot bigger and more important.

Like at the end of every game week, we take a closer look at what actually went down in the FIBA Europe Cup and examine the events through a lens of numbers.

7

Nanterre forward Jean-Frederic Morency didn't waste his time on the court. The player used all his personal fouls in seven minutes of playing time, ending his night in the third quarter. He committed three of the fouls on Cameron Clark and two trying to stop John Roberson.

9

Hugo Invernizzi drained four long-range shots in the first two quarters, Spencer Butterfield splashed in three of his own, while Heiko Schaffartzik and Mykal Riley added one each, as Nanterre went 9-of-17 from three-point range in the first half.

However, like all good things, the hot streak came to an end. The visitors went on to score just 1-of-9 from downtown in the third and fourth quarters, with Chris Warren accounting for the lone second-half make late in the last period.

💥💥 "Et ouiii barbichette... Chris Warren, l'homme sans émotion !" 😂🔥😂 Finale aller de DINGUE, @StephBrun41 de gala ! 😝🔥👊 #fibaeuropecup pic.twitter.com/jvWn9HYuIN

— SFR Sport (@SFR_Sport) April 18, 2017

At the same time, Elan Chalon weren't having a good shooting night themselves, making just 4-of-20 of their attempts from three-point range in the game.

11

Moustapha Fall came up with the only double-double performance of the game, collecting 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Chalon-sur-Saone club. Elan Chalon fans were given a scare when their starting center limped off to the locker room after picking up a knock near the end of the second quarter, but breathed a sigh of relief when he was once again in the starting lineup for the third quarter.

13

Not for the first time this season, Elan Chalon's poorest stretch of play coincided with Cameron Clark resting on the bench. He was benched with 36 seconds left in the first period immediately after picking up his second foul and didn't see any court time until the second half, with Abdoulaye Loum playing in his place.

Elan Chalon were outscored 26-13 in the frame, but the coaching staff's gamble ultimately paid off with Cameron Clark spearheading the second-half comeback with a game-high 16 points. He played the full 20 minutes after the break and picked up two more fouls, so coach Jean-Denys Choulet's decision to bench him proved to be a smart one.

With Clark on the floor, Elan Chalon outscored Nanterre by 13 points in the second half. No other player had a positive double-digit plus-minus indicator except for his teammate Gedeon Pitard, who was at +12 in just 11 minutes of playing time.

17

After collecting 41 points in the first half of play, Nanterre's offense was reduced to turtle pace after intermission. Pascal Donnadieau's side couldn't adjust to the increased level of defensive intensity by Elan Chalon and registered single-digit outputs in the third and fourth quarters, scoring nine and eight points respectively.

Interestingly enough, seven different players did score during the second half, but their portions were understandably small. Mathias Lessort, who collected five points during the stretch, was the most productive Nanterre player on the court. However, he finished the game with just seven points on two-of-eight shooting from the field and only three rebounds in nearly 29 minutes of action.

21

It was the last official FIBA game for Turkish referee Murat Biricik, who is set to retire after 21 years of service. After starting his refereeing career in 1991, the now 47-year-old Biricik officiated his first international game in 1996.

26

While Nanterre had a sizable edge from beyond the arc, Elan Chalon took advantage of opportunities from in close. Having converted 51.5 percent of their two-point field goal attempts, the hosts outscored Nanterre 26-12 inside the post.

💥💥 Superbe dunk d'Axel Bouteille 🔥🔥 L'@ELANCHALON revient à 8 points avant le 4e QT de cette finale aller de #fibaeuropecup ! pic.twitter.com/7GVVrfdKPR

— SFR Sport (@SFR_Sport) April 18, 2017

Moustapha Fall's intimidating wingspan didn't allow anyone and anything through on the other end, with the visitors from Nanterre making just 33.3 percent of their two-pointers, compared to 38.5 percent shots from deep.

58

The first leg of the FIBA Europe Cup Final didn't turn out to be as high-scoring a game as many had predicted. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as Elan Chalon and Nanterre hit their season lows in scoring at 58 points each.

💥💥 C'est de la folie au Colisée de l'@ELANCHALON 🔥🔥 Énorme 3 points de Jérémy Nzeulie... Fin de finale aller électrique ⚡️😱⚡️ #fibaeuropecup pic.twitter.com/KC2Groaju7

— SFR Sport (@SFR_Sport) April 18, 2017

The Chalon-sur-Saone side fell short of the 70-point mark only once in the FIBA Europe Cup this season, losing 77-69 to SL Benfica on the road in Portugal back in the Regular Season.

Meanwhile, Nanterre's previous low came in a 73-55 victory against Bnei Herzliya in Israel in the Second Round.

60

Tickets for the first-leg game of a title-deciding tie against Nanterre were gone within 60 minutes of being put on sale. Like in the Semi-Finals against Telenet Oostende, Elan Chalon supporters packed the 5,000-seat Colisee to the brim and were a big factor in the team's second-half comeback from a 15-point halftime deficit.

Live
Finale Aller ELAN vs NANTERRE

En direct du banc !!#RougeEtBlanc #FIBAEuropeCup pic.twitter.com/5bi0Ic9Llu

— Elan Chalon (@ELANCHALON) April 18, 2017

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