Betclic Elite (J21): Monaco still on track, Nanterre and Strasbourg fail

Mathieu Warnier, of Media365, published on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 11:15 pm

While Nanterre and Strasbourg both suffered defeats, Monaco disregarded current troubles to win at home against Cholet and cement their position as the leader of Betclic Elite.

Monaco continues almost as if nothing had happened. Even with David Michineau and Yoan Makoundou leaving the club and Vassilis Spanoulis absent from the bench, the “Roca Team” secured their eleventh consecutive victory in the Betclic Elite against Cholet. The team led by Alpha Diallo (16 points) started the game well, establishing a ten-point lead in the first quarter. Cholet managed to fight back in the second quarter to level the score, before succumbing on the court at the Salle Gaston-Médecin. A 15-3 run allowed the Principality club to establish a comfortable lead on the scoreboard. However, both teams then went on series of plays that benefitted CB.

Indeed, Monaco left their locker room with just a three-point lead. Despite this, led by Gérald Ayayi (20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists), they managed to hold off the European runners-up but never held more than a two-point lead. Scoring eleven unanswered points, the Monégasques managed to extend their lead just before the final ten minutes of the game. The only moment of concern was Cholet closing the gap to six points. Nevertheless, Monaco managed to keep control and secure a ten-point victory (89-79), seizing the opportunity to widen the gap in the standings.

Nanterre fails to bounce back

Following a defeat against the “Roca Team” before the international break, Nanterre missed an opportunity to recover on the court against Le Mans. Against the unfortunate finalist of the Leaders Cup, the Francilian club suffered their second consecutive loss. The game was initially close, with neither team holding a lead of more than five points in the first quarter. Le Mans managed to take a three-point lead. The teammates of Johnny Berhanemeskel (17 points) extended their lead to 17 points in the second quarter, but Nanterre finished stronger to reduce the deficit to just seven points at halftime.

Led by Mathis Dossou-Yovo (15 points, 6 rebounds), Nanterre fought back in the second half. A 13-0 run allowed them to regain the lead in the middle of the third quarter. This gave Julien Mahé’s players a four-point advantage heading into the final ten minutes. However, they couldn’t maintain their lead, allowing an 11-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter, ultimately losing by eight points (79-71). Nanterre now trails Monaco by three wins but remains on the podium. Le Mans, on the other hand, returns to the Top 6 ahead of Bourg-en-Bresse, whose game against ASVEL was postponed due to a congested schedule.

Strasbourg defeated at the buzzer

Strasbourg had a chance to regain a place on the podium. However, their four-game winning streak in Betclic Elite was cut short on their home court against Dijon. Dijon started well, leading for most of the first quarter. However, Strasbourg staged a late comeback with an 11-3 run to take a two-point lead. Despite both teams being evenly matched, Dijon, led by David Holston (23 points), extended their lead to eight points by halftime. This advantage continued to grow in the second half, with Strasbourg unable to take the lead.

Despite Mike Davis Jr’s efforts (34 points, 6 rebounds), Strasbourg couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities, heading into the final ten minutes tied. Strasbourg led for over eight minutes in the final quarter but Dijon managed to force overtime thanks to Quentin Slosser (19 points, 13 rebounds). The extra five minutes were closely contested, but Dijon secured a buzzer-beating victory thanks to David Holston. With this win (96-98 ap), Dijon moves forward while Strasbourg remains in fourth place, now trailing Monaco by four wins. At the bottom of the standings, Saint-Quentin pushed Le Portel closer to relegation by winning the “fear match” convincingly (72-108).