Despite two absentees, the Antibes Sharks thoroughly dominated last season’s finalist, Strasbourg (79-57). Tim Blue, the team captain from the Azure coast, shined by setting his career-high points in ProA. See you on Tuesday in Châlons-Reims to confirm this initial success.
What a start, what a surprise! Beforehand, an Antibes victory was highly unlikely on online betting sites. The preseason had been bleak (1 win – 7 losses), and Tyler Harvey’s absence limited rotations to only eight players. The 2017-2018 version of the Sharks perfectly launched their season thanks to solid defense and a captain still as dazzling as ever.
Blue on a high
For a good five minutes, both teams evaluated each other, logical for a first official match. The first to pull away were the Alsatians, well led by newcomer Dixon, who scored seven points. The gap grew from five to eight points (12-20, 8th minute) but Tim Blue, at the end of the quarter, put his team back on track (19-20).
In the second quarter, each team had its moment. Antibes, well supported by strong paint play, with Jonathan Tornato and then Mouphtaou Yarou, took a four-point lead (28-24, 15th minute), but SIG responded with the Dixon-Logan duo proving effective from long range. The 2017 finalist was ahead at halftime, but the Azureans remained close (35-38).
Explosive return, Yarou steps up
Returning from halftime, Julien Espinosa’s men were euphoric and literally suffocated the Strasbourg team. The locals executed a devastating 13-0 run in 5 and a half minutes, inflating the score (46-38, 25th minute). With only four turnovers, Antibes presented a strong, committed front. Logan stopped the bleeding, but the damage was already done, despite a revival by French international Louis Labeyrie. The Sharks won the third quarter 22-10, and the score was 57-48 with ten minutes remaining. At this point, Tim Blue’s stat sheet was already impressive (23 points and 8 rebounds).
Still diligent on both ends of the court, the Antibes players maintained the pressure, exemplified by Mouphtaou Yarou’s omnipresence. The former Le Mans player ended the game with 17 rebounds, including 6 offensive ones (49 total rebounds for the Sharks). Jerel Blassingame, not very successful in the first half, found his rhythm (14 points and 9 assists in total), well supported by the newcomer Vincent Sanford (13 points on 5/12 shooting). Tim Blue, meanwhile, broke his ProA record with 29 points, not to forget the 10 rebounds giving him his first double-double of the season (31 evaluation). In the second half, the Sharks conceded only 19 points, a rare statistic.
The Sharks were brilliant and surprising, but the season is just beginning. A victory in Champagne on Tuesday evening would affirm a fully successful first game day.
Photo credit: official Twitter account of the Antibes Sharks
