Monaco emerged victorious in Gravelines this Saturday (77-89) and solidifies its position as leader of Betclic Elite. Meanwhile, Nanterre is temporarily in second place after a clear victory against Le Portel (59-90).
Surprised in Nancy a week earlier, the Roca Team resumed its winning ways in Betclic Elite. Playing in Gravelines, but without Mike James, Nikola Mirotic, both injured, or Daniel Theis absent at the last minute, Monaco waited until the beginning of the second quarter to widen the gap. Eight points ahead at halftime (37-49) and an increased lead of 14 points in the second half. Matthew Strazel was the main architect of Monaco’s success with 13 points and 11 assists. The top scorer of the match Elie Okobo (Monaco) with 18 points dominated over Dunkirk, who couldn’t rely on Edon Maxhuni (15 points). Despite struggling from three-point range (3/21), Monaco saw their opponent comeback towards the end of the third quarter. A momentary scare. With 35 defensive rebounds, Monaco cleaned up under the basket to outshine Gravelines.
Nanterre without trembling, Strasbourg dominates Cholet
Playing against the bottom team in the championship Le Portel (0 wins), Nanterre had no trouble securing a big win (59-90). Donta Scott with his 21 points (5/6 from three-point range) led his team to a 17th win of the season. On the other side, the trio of Christopher Ebunangombe (16 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds), Gregory Lee (14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists), and Lucas Fischer (12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) tried to respond but the halftime gap was already 19 points. Nanterre continued to widen the gap in the second half. The upcoming match against Saint-Quentin (15th) should allow Nanterre to secure a third consecutive victory.
For Strasbourg, hosting Cholet was not easy. With four consecutive losses (in all competitions), the Alsace team needed to solidify their fourth place position. Marcus Keene (21 points) and Mike Davis Jr (17 pts) led SIG in the second and third quarters, taking advantage of Cholet’s poor shooting accuracy. Despite Nathan De Sousa’s injury, CB’s hopes were high as they narrowed the gap to two points in the last quarter (86-84). Noah Locke (17 points, 5/9 from three-point range) almost believed in a comeback, but a shot from Louis Labeyrie (8 points, 12 rebounds) ended the suspense. In other games scheduled this Saturday, Chalon dominated Saint-Quentin (65-86) and remains in 9th place, still in the running for the play-in. Le Mans outperformed Boulazac (108-94), despite the 59 points from the Robineau-Warner duo.
