The Roca Team wins on the court of Le Mans, (93-84). A mixed performance, with a superb first quarter, but an overall sluggish performance.
The Roca Team needed reassurance! After a challenging week in Serbia, with two defeats against Partizan Belgrade and Crvena Zvezda, AS Monaco Basket traveled to Le Mans this Sunday evening. An opponent that Vassilis Spanoulis’s players had already faced this season. It was during the Super Cup final, with a large Monegasque victory (104-79).
On their side, the Le Mans team also approached this match with two consecutive defeats. A first loss on the court of Benfica Lisbon in the Champions League, and a second against Strasbourg last weekend, in Betclic Élite.
An excellent start to the match by Monaco
The Roca Team did not want to have doubts and started their match perfectly. Mike James’s teammates were all over the court. They fought for every ball and suffocated the Le Mans players. The players from the Principality excelled in shooting, with more than 81% success in this first quarter, with a nice 4/6 from three-point range.
The first ten minutes were of very good quality for AS Monaco Basket, with a lot of intensity. An overall mastery reflected on the scoreboard (35-18).
A Le Mans comeback in the second quarter
While the Roca Team had taken the lead in the first quarter, Le Mans woke up and caused significant trouble for the Monegasques. Vassilis Spanoulis’s players struggled and watched their opponent come back gradually. Once again, AS Monaco Basket was dominated in rebounds, with five for the Roca Team compared to nine for Le Mans.
Leading by 19 points, the Monegasques were only three points ahead when they returned to the locker rooms (51-48). A radically different attitude compared to that displayed in the first ten minutes. The symbol of this change is the 0/6 from three-point range in this quarter. Everything remained to be done for the club from Monaco.
A Roca Team still under pressure
AS Monaco Basket struggled to regain the sensations of the first quarter. One reason for the loss of this overwhelming dominance was the awakening of the Le Mans team. Nevertheless, Vassilis Spanoulis’s players did not show their best side and held on to stay in the match.
Through Mike James, the Monegasques regained a bit of precision from three-point range in this quarter, making 3 out of 9 shots. Unfortunately, they committed too many fouls, eight in these ten minutes. AS Monaco Basket managed to limit the damage but ended up tied with Le Mans (68-68).
The Roca Team wins in pain
AS Monaco Basket, without shining, managed to distance itself from its opponent in the final quarter. The Monegasques took a 13-point lead. As the Roca Team was heading for victory, Mike James snapped and was ejected. This behavior had costly repercussions as it offered Le Mans three free throws, allowing them to come back to within eight points, with less than four minutes left.
Le Mans did not manage to come back into the game, particularly due to numerous offensive fouls in the final moments. The Roca Team won 93 to 84. The players from Monaco showed a superb face in the first quarter, before faltering. Despite this dual performance, Elie Okobo’s teammates returned to the path of victory.
After this intense week for the Roca Team, two games await Vassilis Spanoulis’s players. A first all-French duel against ASVEL, in the Euroleague, this Wednesday on the court of LDLC Arena, to start. The Monegasques will return to Betclic Élite and Gaston Médecin, with a home game against Bourg-en-Bresse, on Sunday, to conclude this week.
