The BLMA Gazelles are going to challenge this Wednesday, December 8 (7 p.m.) the very revengeful Czechs after their defeat in the first leg in the Euroleague.
Thanks to its status as a “Euroleague club”, the BLMA benefited from a weekend of rest, the last one being devoted to the “virtual” round of 16 (five matches) of the Coupe de France and the match in delay won by Tango Bourges at the expense of Basket Landes.
With such a heavy pace to be managed by only seven professionals on average since the start of the season, some breaks are essential, and this had already been the case for the Gazelles during the two days following their ultimate success against Moscow BA for the account of the 7th and last day of the first leg of Euroleague.
“This cut was good, it brought freshness to a group that really needed it”, does not hide the trainer Valéry Demory. Unlike his counterparts in clubs from other disciplines in the Metropolis, the latter has no room for maneuver and, for this trip to the Czech Republic, three “young people” (Elyah Kiavi, Célia Rivière, Eléna Zemoura) will appear. within a delegation which left the Hérault direction Prague via Paris by the 6:10 flight this Tuesday morning.
It will be a high-risk trip, as their host of the day, ZVVZ USK Prague, Czech Republic champion every year (!), Is currently second in Group A behind the undefeated ogre Ekaterinburg, with five victories and two defeats, tiny, among the Russians (73-75) and above all… in the BLMA with a surprisingly almost identical score (74-75).
Valéry Demory: “A candidate for the final”
The second, which dates back to October 6 during the opening, the team led by the renowned Natalia Hejkova has probably still not digested! That evening, Prague had led three quarters of the time, eight lengths ahead (51-59) at the start of the 4th quarter, before being surprised during the last exchanges. Precision which is not anecdotal, the visitors had pointed in the Hérault deprived of their pair US Jones – Thomas. And that changes everything, according to the technician from Hérault.
“Since they came back, they are very strong. It’s a team that opts for 70% of the game fast, Venice tried to stop them, it only lasted a quarter (25-19 QT1, 88-53 au final). Thomas defends hard and she really makes a difference. Prague is stronger than Salamanca, it is a real candidate for the Final Four, for the final. It may even be stronger than Ekaterinburg collectively “, describes Valéry Demory.
Without illusion for victory. With a private group of Ana Filip (family death), the boss of the Gazelles and his deputy Ahmed Mbombo Njoya are already facing shock against LDLC Asvel this Saturday in Lattes.
