NANTERRE (Basketball Champions League) - Banvit grabbed a 74-66 win at Nanterre 92 on Wednesday night to claim the upper hand in their Basketball Champions League Round of 16 tie.

Beaten finalists a year ago, Banvit were led by a member of that team with captain Gasper Vidmar pouring in 18 points and providing plenty of grit and hustle. Angelo Caloiaro was also constant menace and finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds. 

Banvit also unleashed the talented Sehmus Hazer on Wednesday, with the promising 19-year-old moving around the court like he owned it in the first half and finishing with 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Nanterre trailed by as many as 12 points but showed a lot of fight and clawed back that deficit, tying the contest at 45-45 with France international Hugo Invernizzi's 3-pointer midway through the third quarter.

Invernizzi had 9 points and defended well and veteran Germany international Heiko Schaffartzik made plenty of plays and scored 16 points as the home side battled all the way.

Recent signing Kevin Jones was also tough, leading the French outfit with 18 points.

Nanterre scrapped but weren't able to get their noses in front while Banvit kept the pressure on and took the lead.

Schaffartzik had 16 points for Nanterre

Jones' 3-pointer cut the Banvit advantage to 63-62 with 4:40 remaining but Tony Taylor hit an open jumper just inside the free-throw line and Vidmar followed with a basket.

Jones answered with a bucket only for Andy Rautins to connect for one of his three 3-pointers on the night. Canada international Rautins finished with 12 points.

Shaffartzik made a couple of free-throws, only for Vidmar to slam home a vicious dunk and then Caloiaro added a basket to end the scoring.

Banvit will like their position heading back to Turkey for the second leg with an eight-point advantage but Nanterre provided plenty of evidence that they will be tough customers. That will be the message of Banvit coach Saso Filipovski.

The winner of this tie will take on either AS Monaco or Stelmet Enea Zielona Gora in the Quarter-Finals. Monaco lead that tie by 2 points after the first leg in Poland.