At the end of a very close French Cup final, the Roca Team emerged victorious (87-83) against Le Mans. This marks the first title for Monaco, crowning a week full of twists and turns.
Less than 24 hours after their crucial Euroleague match win against Barcelona, the Roca Team was set for another major event of their season: the French Cup final. Facing Le Mans after eliminating Paris, ASVEL, and then Nanterre in the semifinals, the people of Monaco were favorites for the title after being eliminated last year by this same MSB team.
In the Accor Arena, the start of the match lived up to expectations. Matthew Strazel did the work in shooting to respond to TaShawn Thomas on Le Mans’ side. The only slight downside: a somewhat weak defensive sector that left too many opportunities for the Sarthe team to pull ahead. The scoreboard never exceeded +6 for the Roca Team in the first quarter, ending with a narrow 19-21.
The second quarter was more disciplined at the back. Kevarrius Hayes showed more strength in defense though the Monaco attack couldn’t keep up the pace in the opening minutes. Only around the 15-minute mark did the players from the Principality find their scoring touch. Just before halftime, a beautiful sequence concluded by Alpha Diallo allowed them to achieve a significant initial lead. The gap gradually widened to +16 at the break: 29-45.
Le Mans comes back, the Roca Team feels the pressure
Upon returning from the locker room, Le Mans showed more aggression towards the ball handler. Trevor Hudgins regained his shooting accuracy and greatly contributed to the collective play. The Roca Team found themselves in difficulty, forced to attempt improbable shots. In this tug-of-war, Le Mans scored a 9-0 run to reenter this French Cup final. Monaco sought a second wind from Matthew Strazel (15 points in 25 minutes). The Roca Team’s point guard took charge to bring his teammates back into the game. The tone intensified, benefiting Monaco. The lead fluctuated, swinging from +15 in favor of the Roca Team to +7 over a few plays. Monaco lost a few crucial possessions, notably punished at the buzzer by David DiLeo: 57-64 in favor of the Roca Team at the end of the third quarter.
Everything was back in play in this final that lived up to its promises. Especially as the 4th quarter began at a frantic pace. Both teams regained their offensive momentum, providing a great spectacle for the Accor Arena audience. Furthermore, Trevor Hudgins significantly hurt the Monegasques with an almost insolent shooting success . Le Mans took the lead five minutes before the end of the game. It required a great Mike James three-pointer to restore order for Monaco. Le Mans, however, kept leading and made every possession crucial.
In the last minute, Mike James, who announced that he would leave the Roca Team at the end of the season, made a new crucial three-pointer to give Monaco a one-point lead. The tension was immense on both sides, except for Alpha Diallo who managed to score his three free throws after an avoidable foul by Johnny Berhanemeskel. On the final possession, a strong defense by Mike James secured the victory for the Roca Team in a suspense-filled finish. After a long series of free throws concluded by Juhann Begarin, who was very active in this final quarter, the Roca Team won the French Cup (87-83) in a match of great intensity.
A true feat in an extremely busy schedule for the team from Monaco. After three failures in this competition, Monaco brings the French Cup back to the Rock for the 2025-2026 edition.
