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As part of the 15th day of the Women’s Basketball League, the Southerners, concerned, hosted the Northerners, confident. On the court of the Leyrit hall, the visitors secured the two victory points, although they were sometimes challenged by the locals.
It was a clash of extremes, both geographically and in terms of rankings. While the Villeneuvois, reigning champions of France, are in second place, the Niçoises still hold the last spot.
However, since the last championship match, some things have changed: the former coach, Jimmy Vérove, resigned and his assistant, Wani Muganguzi, then took the reins of Cavigal with one sole mission: to avoid the play-downs for his team. It was a difficult first match but “without regrets.”
Even in weak moments, the Niss’Angels do not give up
From the jump ball, the players from Villeneuve-d’Ascq pushed the Niçoises to their limits (0-5, 1’). Blocked at the entrance of the key, the latter were forced to shoot from a distance. Without real success, but Duchet and her teammates remained united. Indeed, the least prolific attack in the championship dealt 9 consecutive points to one of the top teams (12-9, 5’). Surprised, the Northerners somewhat lost their composure, especially on the 3-point shots (2 out of 8 made).
At the end of the first quarter, Nice held a slight lead (20-18, 10’). It would not last. Frédéric Dusart’s protégées raised their level of play and scored, in turn, 13 consecutive points against their shaken opponents (20-31, 14’). Present on defensive rebounds and quick on the counterattack, Gomis and her partners maintained this gap until halftime (29-40, 20’).
Being proactive, rather than reactive
Back from the locker room, the visitors kept up the same aggressive dynamic (29-48, 22’). Like Cooper, the Niss’Angels tried, as best they could, not to give in but on the other side, ESBVA was in full flow (41-57, 28’). In a tough position, the Nice coach called for a timeout early in the final quarter (44-65, 32’).
This proved beneficial as afterward, his players battled both defensively and offensively to try, step by step, to close the score gap (54-67, 35’). However, the point difference was too significant; this comeback effort was not enough.
Logically, the Villeneuve-d’Ascq runners-up claimed victory on the away court (60-71).
“We are never happy with a defeat but today, I am pleased with the performance,” Wani Muganguzi emphasized. “We gave ourselves the chance to have the balls to get back in the game but we didn’t convert them. The next step will be to make those shots because among the upcoming matches, we will definitely need to win some.”
by Solène Falaise
