Champagne Basket ice cream Chalon and poses an option on the climb

Seen like this… “We don’t go up for three fucking goal-average points, we have a guy who had a stroke, we broke up, pissed off all year to hold on for That “lists Antoine Eito. “No no, I don’t accept it. » And yet, despite all this, under the eyes of Clint Capela (Atlanta Hawks), Élan Chalon completely missed out on their Pro B final, at least their first half, as if they weren’t unaware of the event. “I saw white players like sheets, who refused the shots, who did not exist: we went too low”, plague Savo Vucevic. Up to -18 in terms of the score (28-46), and it could have even been worse given the abysmal difference between the two teams.

“Some did nothing tonight”

Coming to the Coliseum to recover the advantage of the field, Champagne Basket signed an exceptional first half of control, losing only one ball! “We controlled the interior sector and the pace of the game rather well”rejoiced Thomas Andrieux, the Marne coach. “We must also underline our defensive solidity from the start. » Behind, the talent of Marquis Jackson (13 points at the break, 22 in total) made it possible to widen the gap, but it was not even necessary to do so much against such an apathetic Chalonnaise team. Only one player at the level, Antoine Eito, and almost nothing behind: 9 lost balls for 6 assists, a nightmarish ratio. “Decibels couldn’t measure what happened in the locker room at halftime”tempête Savo Vucevic. “The walls shook. Me, I no longer have a knee but I wanted to play. It’s a final, you have to leave everything on the field. Some did nothing tonight tonight. Do we have warriors? »

Yes, Momentum found another: Kenny Baptiste brought an unexpected touch of outside address (20 points at 7/13, including 4/7 at three points). We can also save Lionel Gaudoux for his combativeness, but the former Saint-Quentinois missed too many easy things and embodied the Burgundian failure in rebounds (2 takes, 25 to 38 in total). Otherwise, the others were sanctioned: Damien Bouquet no longer returned to the floor after playing 17 minutes in the first half, Luka Lapornik either, Mattias Markusson made a lightning pass, Antonio Jordan did not exist: 5 points at 1/9 for them in total… Difficult to win a final at two and a half, with also an irrelevant Supreme Hannah (4 points at 0/6). “I hope he will wake up”proclaims the Franco-Montenegrin technician. “He needs to be more lucid, more creative. »

Decisive Marquis Jackson

Still, despite this desolate landscape, the Moose has not gone so far from the hold-up of the year. Relegated to -21 (31-52, 24th minute) during the Aboudou moment (4 points and 1 assist in a few seconds), the club’s child, the Chalonnais revolted, set the Colosseum on fire to return to the heels of the Champenois. 67-70, with less than five minutes to play, and several successive shots to equalize: Gaudoux, Eito, Hannah… Nothing will do, even a stray ball from Timothé Crusol on a comeback in the last seconds, to finally be crucified by a long shot from the elusive Marquis Jackson (22 points at 9/18).

A real relief, in the end, for Mathis Keita’s teammates (10 points at 4/5, 6 rebounds and 2 assists), who certainly shouldn’t have been so scared. From one half to just one stray ball, they dropped nine after the break, unable to string together a single consistent possession in streaks. But no one will remember tomorrow. We will simply remember that Champagne Basket recovered the advantage of the field, and that it would have been unfair if this was not the case. “Overall, we deserve”pleads Thomas Andrieux, praising the solidity of his people in the money-time to resist the pressure. “It’s obviously an important victory. It is even decisive. » They, at least, understood that it was a final…

In Chalon,