The Niss’Angels hosted the Charleville-Mézières team on their court yesterday afternoon. After a closely contested match, the team from Nice eventually lost with a score of 68-80. After six games, Cavi is in 9th place in the Women’s League standings, just one point ahead of the last place.
It was already Cavigal’s fourth defeat in the championship and the first of the season at Leyrit. Faced with Charleville-Mézières yesterday afternoon for the 6th round of the Women’s League, the team from Nice fell apart during the last four minutes of the game.
Victoria Mccaulay finished the match with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, being the only real offensive threat for the Azuréennes. Ambrosia Anderson, Laetitia Kamba, and Romy Bar did not perform at their usual levels. On the other hand, the Carolomacériennes relied on their teamwork, with five players scoring more than 10 points, led by a strong performance from Amel Bouderra (18 points, 13 assists).
The Angels hang on
Initially, everything seemed to be going well for Rachid Meziane’s players. In the first quarter, the Azuréennes were aggressive on defense (5 steals during the period) and focused on offense. Riding on the momentum of their great EuroCup victory on Wednesday, they delivered a 10-0 run against Charleville in the first segment. (24-15) However, the Carolomacériennes could count on Amel Bouderra (last season’s MVP) to bring them back into the game. With a 2+1 play and a three-pointer, she brought her team within 5 points. (26-21)
In the second quarter, the Nice bench, with Isabelle Strunc and Mamignon Touré, did the work to widen the gap initially. (30-21) However, the fatigue from Wednesday’s match began to show. As the quarter progressed, the visiting team gradually closed the gap. Macaulay and Kamba were forced to leave due to foul trouble. As a result, Cavigal was deprived of two of its main offensive assets. Charleville took advantage to take the lead before halftime (40-41).
A remarkable comeback…
Upon returning from the locker room, the Nice players seemed absent. They quickly conceded six points at the start of the third quarter (40-47). Rachid Méziane immediately called a timeout to rally his troops. Following this pause, the home team managed to catch up thanks to their leaders. Victoria Macaulay, Laetitia Kamba, and Romy Bar were unstoppable on offense. It was the latter who, with a lay-up and a subsequent free throw, brought her team within two points (48-50).
But at the end of the quarter, the referees called an unsportsmanlike foul against Laetitia Kamba. “It’s probably the play that took us out of the game a bit,” Rachid Meziane admitted after the match. Amel Bouderra made one of two free throws, and with a three-pointer at the buzzer, she gave her team a seven-point lead heading into the final period (55-62).
…before faltering at the end
This incident didn’t prevent the Nice players from closing the score gap. Romy Bar, with two three-pointers, brought her team within three points of Charleville. Then it was Ambrosia Anderson, who had been quiet throughout the game, and Victoria Macaulay who brought Cavi back into contention. 66-66 with five minutes left in the match.
However, the Azuréennes paid the price for their efforts. During the last four minutes of the match, they managed to score only two points. They suffered a devastating 14-2 run in the final stretch. Rachid Méziane found no solutions and had to accept his team’s first home loss of the season.
There’s no time, however, for the Azuréennes to brood over this defeat. As early as Wednesday, they will host the Venice team for their third EuroCup match.
