Well planted in his technical area, taking very little advantage of his bench, Éric Bartecheky could have a smile after the final whistle. If the Élan Béarnais had to pull out its fangs against Le Mans to win last Saturday, the team dominated its subject yesterday, air-conditioning an André Vacheresse hall which was emptying even before the end of the meeting.
Worried by streaks, the Pau team never let go of their advantage to take their first victory of the season away from home and give up…
Well planted in his technical area, taking very little advantage of his bench, Éric Bartecheky could have a smile after the final whistle. If the Élan Béarnais had to pull out its fangs against Le Mans to win last Saturday, the team dominated its subject yesterday, air-conditioning an André Vacheresse hall which was emptying even before the end of the meeting.
Worried by streaks, the Pau team never let go of their advantage to take their first victory of the season away from home and give up the last place in the championship at Fos-sur-Mer. A victory that feels good in the heads before the last opposition of the year against Dijon, and which is largely due to the tactical choice of his coach, especially in defense.
A surprise zone
As usual, the Palois start in man-to-man defense, seeking to put depth and impact in the duels. But faced with the best attack in the championship, whose rear base is known for its liveliness and its ability to sneak into the smallest space, the Élan quickly switches to zone defense. Led by six points taken, while Sim and Stockton were particularly targeted on their drives, the team came back and even passed as the Chorale de Roanne began to “lose its tone”. With a fiery rhythm, the local formation becomes heavy and clumsy as the Sim-Oniangue connection shines. Pau passes in front with a six-point advantage (21-27, 10th).
The second quarter nevertheless saw the locals play their pride with several award-winning shots from their backs but the Béarnais held on, still camped in their 2-3 zone. Despite the known weak weather, the return of Ayayi, in her role as energizer, is good. Capturing 7 rebounds while scoring 4 points at 50% shooting, the fullback is a perfect substitute for the American leaders who are enjoying a few minutes of rest. Better still, the usual rear enjoys leading the game to allow his team to increase their advantage at the break (37-48).
Everything in control
The attacks are much more messy on the way back from the locker room, because of the great burst of energy provided. But Roanne is struggling to take advantage of it with an ever-elusive address and a recalcitrant arch that does not help the locals. Seeing the tide turn, Éric Bartecheky opts for a second change of defense. Abandoning their 2-3 zone, Elan Béarnais went to 1-3-1 to give more depth in the racket, with players who were forced to come out strong on the outside to fill the openings left voluntarily. Result: the Palois take up to fifteen points in advance before releasing at the end of the quarter to be only +12 (58-70, 30th)
Worn out and without a solution, the Roannais abdicated completely, without even worrying about the basket average in the last quarter. No longer obliged to defend, Cummings took advantage of the interceptions of the neo all-star Stockton to go to the circle while Sim definitively crucified Roanne behind the arc of a circle.
