VENICE (Basketball Champions League) - Umana Reyer Venezia trailed at half-time but came out swinging in the third quarter and won their Game of the Week, Group B clash in Italy against Le Mans Sarthe.

With Hrvoje Peric leading the attack after the restart when the hosts outscored Le Mans, 28-11, Umana Reyer gave themselves a platform to build on and recorded a 74-62 victory - their fifth straight in the competition.

The result has left both sides with 6-2 records at the top of Group B.

Le Mans, who won the first encounter between the two on Gameday 1, 68-49, went in front by as many as 10 points in the first half but lost some of their momentum late in the second quarter and took a 36-29 lead to the changing rooms.

When the teams returned to the court for the second half, Umana Reyer coach Walter De Raffaele started veteran center Benjamin Ortner and got a boost from the 33-year-old on both ends of the floor.

Michael Bramos also came out and harassed on defense and Tyrus McGee provided points, and pressure on the perimeter when the opponents had the ball. The battering ram was Peric, though.

After a basket by Mickael Gelabale put Le Mans on top, 38-35, Peric, who had 10 points in the first half, drove hard to the hoop and scored on back-to-back possessions for a 39-38 lead.

He then converted a chance on a fast break and his team had the lead for good.

Le Mans had no answer for Peric

By the end of the third quarter, the lead was 57-47 and it ballooned to 65-49. Venezia, for a while, looked as if they might win by more than the 19 points that Le Mans did when the teams met in France.

But Erman Kunter, in a final timeout, reminded his team of the need to not let that happen in case of a potential head-to-head tie-breaker between the sides.

Peric cut a tired figure after the game but it was a good tired.

"I think the key was for sure the third quarter when we played more aggressive on defense, which allowed us more transition and more possessions," Peric said.