Never in the game and dominated in all areas, Antibes heavily succumbed on Nanterre’s court (71-90). The reception of Nancy on Tuesday night is the match not to lose in the race to stay up.
Nanterre, it’s not new, is a heavyweight in France. Since their 2013 title, the Donnadieu family club has kept progressing, proving it with a trophy cabinet that grows each year. This Saturday evening, four days after their European title, the Parisians easily dominated an Antibes team far too limited in rotations. Nanterre is playing for a Top 4 position, Antibes is trying to stay up, and it showed on the court.
No feeling-out period
Clearly not exhausted by the exciting title celebrations, Nanterre started off at full speed, leading rapidly 7-0 thanks to 5 points from their German international Heiko Schaffartzik. Antibes responded after 3 minutes without a single point. Blassingame launched from afar, well supported by Blue and Kouguere (7-7, 3rd minute). As always, the greens relied on their long-range accuracy. Warren and Morency allowed their team to widen the gap (17-11, 6th minute). In the last two minutes, Blassingame and Cordinier showed their long-range skills, but Nanterre quickly stayed ahead (24-19).
Offensively halted
Success eluded the Azureans at the start of the 2nd quarter, committing several fouls. The gap quickly reached 10 points (29-19, 12th minute). The situation worsened with a technical foul given to Blassingame, sending him to the bench with 3 fouls. Bourdillon’s entry was beneficial with five points in two minutes (32-27, 16th minute), but their three-point success was pitiful (4/16 at halftime). Nanterre shifted into second gear and secured their lead with a 9-0 run, spurred on by Schaffartzik who energized the crowd. With eight points in seven minutes, Antibes lagged behind, trailing by 13 points at halftime (44-31).
Otule stuck at two points
Returning from the locker room, the Sharks conceded a 13-6 run in less than 4 minutes. On the bench, Julien Espinosa seemed unresponsive (57-37, 24th minute). Everything went too quickly on Nanterre’s side, and Lessort’s strength in the paint seemed almost indecent. The gap widened, and Antibes’ paint wasn’t getting it done; it took until the 24th minute for Otule to score his first points. The 9-0 surrendered at the end of the 3rd quarter almost sealed the game. The locals strolled on (68-46) while Antibes counted their turnovers.
A semblance of reaction
The Antibes defense appeared absent throughout the first half of the final quarter. The greens took advantage, extending the lead to 28 points thanks to supporting players like Tchouaffé and Conklin (76-48, 34th minute). It took successful long-range shots for Antibes to save some pride. Kouguere and Blassingame attempted successfully, as did Blue and Cordinier, but it was far too late.
The focus now shifts to the most crucial match of this season’s end, hosting Nancy, the bottom-ranked team of Pro A, on Tuesday night. With nine losses in the last eleven games, the Azureans’ situation isn’t promising, but three clubs are still behind them for now (Châlons-Reims, Orléans and Nancy). The players are well aware of the importance of Tuesday’s encounter without overlooking the last games of the season (at Le Mans and against Le Portel in particular).
Julien Espinosa (Antibes coach): “You have to be strong to challenge this Nanterre team, and we weren’t tonight. We didn’t deliver a high-level performance, we didn’t push ourselves to achieve something extraordinary. We have to play much better in our last five matches if we want to win.”
