The bottom of the table reacted on Saturday for the 5th day of Betclic Élite. Limited to a single success so far, Le Portel against Bourg (71-54), Cholet at Limoges (91-79) and Fos-sur-Mer at Nanterre (85-74) each achieved a performance by winning against better ranked and higher rated teams.
The Northerners offered themselves one of the co-leaders before the day, JL Bourg, dominated from start to finish in the Chaudron des Hauts de France and who conceded a third defeat in eight days, after Nanterre at home (80-87) and Venice in Eurocup (62-73). Laurent Legname’s players shot 35% with a terrible 2 out of 21 at long distance, unlike Portelois in three-point verve (13 out of 26), like Charles-Noé Abouo (5 out of 9 for 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists) or Devin Davis (4 of 6).
Le Portel led from start to finish and maintained great defensive pressure to take a twenty-one point lead against a completely bankrupt team like Rasheed Sulaimon (3 out of 12) or Axel Julien (1 out of 6).
Cholet resists the ascension
Cholet outclassed Limoges at Beaublanc from the first half (16-41, 13th) based on an exceptional success in shots (66% at the break) and even led a time of twenty-eight points (64 -36) after half-time.
Pushed by his public, the CSP of Nicolas Lang (18 points) reacted and passed a 25-8 to return to nine points (64-73) at the start of the last period. But the comeback could not be completed, Lang came out for five faults and Cholet resisted around Dominic Artis (14 points), DJ Hogg (14) and Darrin Govens (17 points, 8 assists).
Fos also scalped Nanterre at home, leading from start to finish. The promoted Provencal ensured his success in the last minute while the teammates of Nick Johnson (12 points to 3 of 14), led by twenty-one points seven minutes from the end, had come closer to two possessions (74- 80). But Kevin McClain returned three shots and Lasan Kromah (20 points) scored a basket to definitively fold the game.
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