Basketball/Betclic Elite. Elan ends the year in style by dominating Dijon (76-64)

But let’s not go any further and savor this success against 4^e of the Betclic Élite after a match started at a hundred miles an hour with an almost perfect first quarter, its best in any case this season, and ended in a crazy atmosphere, to the tune of Les Yeux d’Emilie, the chorus big nights.

Cummings the detonator

Yes, Elan did everything well, especially his start. Think that after 6 minutes, Dijon, the second best attack in the division had only twice found the fault in the Béarnaise defense. A zone defense, as in Roanne where the strategy put in place by Eric Bartecheky had extinguished the scorers of the Chorale. Those of Dijon were warned however, but faced with the spider’s web which relaxed and contracted perfectly, they were going to lose 8 balls in this first quarter. A rarity for the JDA, the least wasteful team of the entire Betclic Elite (11 on average).

A top defense and an attack in tune on the Pau side behind a Markeith Cummings quickly warmed up with the first five points to his credit and a super spectacular alley oop, served by Michael Stockton. Cummings scorer but also passer for Enzo Sharhrvin who gave his team a 14-point lead (18-4) on a 2+1. It was strong and Dijon could thank Markis McDuffie for having suffered at the end of the quarter to prevent the JDA from sinking even deeper (26-16, 10^e).

In the second quarter, the Burgundians found the key by moving the ball better. The gap was melting (32-26, 34-31, 38-36), Elan in turn losing too many balls (6 in this period), but a nice left-handed basket from Michael Stockton and a good finish at the circle of the US leader allowed the Palois to stay in front (40-36, 20^e).

Stockton conductor

And it was still him when he returned from the locker room who was on the move to create a new break (47-36), while the JDA, again sluggish in front of the opposing area, remained almost five minutes without scoring. It was Jonathan Rousselle, with his atypical shoot, who was going to get her out of the trap. For having chambered after one of his baskets, the point guard received a thunder of whistles each time he touched the ball. And he was touching her more and more as David Holston relived the nightmare of last season when he went out of the match on a zero point.

But in the duel of leaders, it was Michael Stockton who took the lead. Author of 10 points in the third quarter, he settled the Pau game with precision, sending Enzo Shahrvin here to the alley oop, finding a way to the circle there (65-57, 34^e). Decisive also the short passage of the young pivot which caused the fourth and fifth faults of Gavin Ware.

With more than one pivot, Addoulaye Loum, already at 4 faults, the JDA found themselves handcuffed, unable to oppose Vitalis Chikoko near the circle. The Zimbabwean protected his team’s lead and Michael Stockton entertained until the end of the beautiful and last evening of 2022.