Antibes climbed to second place in the ELITE 2 standings following a 102-77 victory against Caen at the Azur Arena, powered by 28 team assists and five players scoring in double figures.
The win extended a surge that began in late October, building on an identity forged through earlier victories against Denain and away at Blois. Head coach J.D. Jackson pointed to an uncommon level of collective buy-in following Friday night’s performance, singling out the ball movement and defensive intensity that overwhelmed Caen after a tighter first half.
Sharks Surge Past Caen
Antibes held a narrow seven-point lead at halftime, up 46-39 before breaking the game open with 56 points after the break. The hosts shot 54.5 percent from the field overall, converting 16 of 36 attempts from beyond the 3-point line.
🎙️ Découvrez les mots de Patrick Tapé et JD Jackson après notre victoire face à Vichy 🦈📲 Vidéo à retrouver sur Sharks TV : https://t.co/fhJntMzJjM 🖥️#GoSharks pic.twitter.com/ABSGy5updB
Balanced scoring defined the night. Marcus Williams, Léopold Ca, and Kyle Castlin each scored 17 points, with Ca shooting 9-of-11 and Castlin hitting five triples. Romain Parmentelot added 15 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 interceptions, while Zeljko Sakic posted 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 passes.
Caen stayed competitive early behind 41.9 percent shooting and 17 points from the free-throw line, but struggled to contain the perimeter movement that generated 28 assists for the hosts.
Jackson Praises Collective Shift After Slow-Burning Start
Reflecting on the team’s trajectory, Jackson admitted his usual skepticism as a veteran coach gave way to genuine enthusiasm for the current roster.
“Naturally, I’m the a bit grumpy, a bit jaded old coach,” Jackson said in a club-released video clip. “But here, I have to say, I am very inspired by this team. It’s still very early, we have an enormous amount of work to do, but I see something we have seen little of for two years, to be honest. I see something in the desire, the ball movement, the sharing… We are this team that the public wants to see, and we must continue like this. By experience, a team that plays with this solidarity and this intensity, we are going to make a nice season. Let’s hope it lasts.”
That cohesion first crystallized on October 20, when Antibes handed previously unbeaten Denain their first defeat of the season with 20 assists. Five days later, the Sharks secured their first away win in the league by defeating Blois 97-92.
Pau-Lacq-Orthez Looms Without Golitin in Cup Action
Antibes holds a 5-2 record in ELITE 2, sharing the league’s second-best mark alongside Poitiers and Châlons-Reims, one game behind leader Denain.
The team shifts focus immediately to a Tuesday, November 3 matchup against Betclic ELITE club Pau-Lacq-Orthez in the 16e de finale of the French Cup (Coupe de France). The Sharks enter the fixture with a seven-point head start under official French Basketball Federation (FFBB) regulations, having previously eliminated Roanne.
The squad will face Pau without Youri Golitin, who underwent surgery on October 28 for a disc protrusion. While club management evaluates whether to sign a medical replacement, the coaching staff expressed full confidence in the current roster and its younger players to absorb the minutes.
Keep reading
