Dijon in the last square!

Dijon qualified for the 2019-20 Champions League semi-finals by beating Ankara 83-82 in the Athens Final Eight. The Dijonnais will face Burgos on Friday for a place in the final.

As in football, the organizers of the Basketball Champions League have decided to end the 2019-20 season with a Final Eight organized on neutral ground and behind closed doors. And as in football, France will be represented in the semi-finals! In the OAKA Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, JDA Dijon indeed rallied the last four by beating the Turks of Ankara, who were favorites, by the score of 83-82. The Dijon were led for much of the game, but managed to turn the tide with great defense, like the last action of the game. The Turks have indeed managed a great start (17-5, 6th) but Dijon returned to a tie at a quarter of an hour (31-31). Ankara then accelerated again to lead 49-46 at halftime and even 56-48 in 23rd.

DIJON COULD HAVE LOSED EVERYTHING IN THE LAST SECOND

The JDA then decided to tighten the defense, and managed to pass in front thirteen minutes from the end, on a 3-point shot from Abdoulaye Loum (60-61). Then she kept up the pressure and found herself with a lead of +10 six minutes from the end (66-76). But the Turks hung on and came back little by little, so that one minute from the buzzer, Dijon was only leading 83-80. Tyler Ennis then scored his two free throws and brought Ankara down to 82-83, but as Kyle Wiltjer, from afar, had the winning shot at the buzzer in his hands, he saw his ball bounce off the circle and out. , thus offering the victory to the Dijonnais, who defended very well on this last possession. Axel Julien finished top scorer with 19 points (and 5 rebounds) and Jaron Johnson with 16 points. After Monaco (third in 2017, second in 2018), France therefore sends a second club to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Friday, Dijon will be opposed to the Spaniards of Burgos, and given what it showed this Wednesday evening, all dreams are allowed for the JDA!

EXTRAORDINAIRE !
MAGICAL !
SPARKLY !

THE @jdadijonbasket IN THE LAST SQUARE!#MyJDA #Dijon #BasketballCL

– JDA Dijon Basket (@jdadijonbasket) September 30, 2020