Even if this is what also makes “the beauty of basketball”, it is a safe bet that the supporters of Portel would have been well without this end of the game more than undecided. ESSM, led by Mikyle McIntossh probably thought they had done the hardest part after dominating the first half (46-26).
All it took was a spark, namely two 3-point baskets from Jalen Adams and Matthieu Gauzin at the very end of the third quarter, to give back the envy to a whole team (62-48). The CCRB snipers, from Travis Leslie to Jalen Adams via Dominique Archie, then released the heavy artillery in the last act to gradually bring Châlons-Reims back into the game, until they equalized at 71-71 on a throw- Frank Ekene Ibekwe then pass in front on a cons-attack remarkably concluded by Jalen Adams in the last minute of the match (75-76).
But the scenario that headed for a perfect heitz of Cédric Heitz’s men took a turn for the worse when Mikyle McInthosh pulled out a crucial layup after a spin move and Mehdy Ngouama intercepted the ball on the handover. in opposing play in stride. Benoît Mangin scored only one free throw in two then, enough however to allow Portel to win, Jalen Adams having fallen on a white and green wall just before the buzzer (78-76).
