Monaco and ASVEL at the rendezvous

The “Roca Team” responded present. While the Leaders Cup slipped from the hands of the Betclic Elite leader, the Monegasques qualified for the semi-finals of the Coupe de France at the expense of defending champion Pau-Lacq-Orthez. The Béarnais, led by Garrett Sim (12 points, 9 assists), resisted for most of the first quarter after quickly taking a three-point lead. However, Sasa Obradovic’s proteges raised their voices at the very end of the first ten minutes of the match.

If Elan Béarnais got closer to three lengths in the second quarter, he then cracked. Monaco, led by Jaron Blossomgame (20 points), reached the break with a margin of ten lengths. A 14-0 conceded very shortly after the resumption put an end to the hopes of Pau-Lacq-Orthez, who fell 24 units behind ten minutes from the end of the match. Without forcing their talent, the “Roca Team” won by 20 lengths (78-98) and joined the last four for the second consecutive year.

ASVEL was hot

ASVEL won’t give up, but it wasn’t easy. Facing Cholet to conclude the day, the reigning triple French champion had to fight to qualify for the semi-finals. However, Nando de Colo’s teammates (27 points, 5 rebounds) took the game by the right end, racing ahead in a first quarter concluded with a margin of five units. An ascendancy that the Rhodaniens did not deny in the ten minutes leading up to half-time but the gap played like a yo-yooscillating from two to eleven lengths to settle at eight units at the break.

Back on the floor, Cholet tried to speed up the pace but Boris Dallo’s teammates (18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) came up against the ASVEL defense, which firmly retained the reins at the start of the last quarter. It was then that the Choletais found the solution and inflicted an 11-0 on the Rhodaniens to pass in front of the score five minutes from the siren. What the players of TJ Parker answered to make the decision. ASVEL won by six lengths (85-79) and returned to the last four, missed last year.

Le Mans has never trembled

Opposed to Dijon, Le Mans had a really simple day to qualify for the semi-finals of the Coupe de France. From the first minutes of the meeting, the outcome was little in doubt. The teammates of Josh Carlton (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Matt Morgan (18 points, 6 assists) stunned the JDA with a 10-0 to dig a first significant gap very quickly. If the Dijonnais came back to nine points at the very end of the first quarter, it was just a flash in the pan.

In effect, the Sarthois started the second drum beating with a 12-0 which put the heads of the Dijon players a little more under water. Despite a lead then exceeding 20 points, the MSB did not cut its effort and even exceeded the 30-point lead for a few moments shortly before returning to the locker room. A bar above which the Manceaux were then most of the time in the third quarter before dropping off in the last ten minutes. In the end, Le Mans won by only twelve lengths (89-77) but demonstrated the seriousness with which this Coupe de France is taken.

Strasbourg in his hand

The first poster played this Saturday at Trélazé saw Strasbourg take another step towards a second consecutive final. Indeed, the Alsatians have taken the measure of Bourg-en-Bresse, recent finalist of the Leaders Cup. While the first ten minutes saw the two teams go blow for blow and separate with only two points difference, the SIG raised the tone in the second quarter. Marcus Keene (24 points, 6 assists) gradually widened the gap to take a thirteen-point lead as halftime approached

. JL Bourg replied to return to eight units when joining the locker room. However, the deal did not change when they returned to the court. Despite the performance of Jordan Floyd (16 points), the Burgiens were almost never able to get closer to less than ten points in the third quarter. With a twelve-point lead, the SIG could not manage but did not necessarily need it. Indeed, the gap swelled to reach 21 points in the last moments. In the end, Strasbourg qualified with a margin of 17 units (71-88).