The Czech Republic won the last match of the Laure Ecard Tournament against France at the end of suspense (66-64). This result did not prevent the French team from lifting the trophy for the 2nd time in seven editions.
Before this last match, the French team, coached by Julien Egloff, was at the top of the standings, tied with the Belgians, each with two victories. The Czech Republic followed with one victory, while the Turkish team did not manage to win a match in this tournament. The Czechs were therefore eager to dominate the French players, to catch up, and possibly win the tournament in case of a decisive victory. The tiebreaker would then occur through “point average.”
The first quarter was very close, ending at 20-20. The Czechs started this match very well, making the French players doubt and imposing a significant physical challenge. On the French side, two girls stood out: center Iliana Rupert, only 15 years old and 1.93 meters tall, who really weighed on the Czech defense. Scoring 5 points, she was very impressive in duels and obtained many advantageous fouls. And young Coralie Chabrier, the 16-year-old player made a noticeable entrance. The FC Lyon point guard really went all out in pressing after losing the ball and found brilliant openings thanks to her quick passes. She finished the quarter with 5 points and 3 assists.
In the second quarter, the French girls appeared worn out by the hard pressing imposed by the Czechs; they made less defensive effort than at the start of the game, allowing the Czech players to shoot at will. The French remained in the match only thanks to their opponents’ lack of accuracy. At halftime, the score was 36-37 in favor of the Czechs.
At the start of the second half, Julien Egloff decided to bring in Océane Monpierre. The Cercle Jean Macé Bourges point guard immediately showed all her desire and determination. Very quick on her feet, she managed several breakthroughs in the Czech defense, causing the opposing team to doubt. The latter completely lost the plot during this 3rd quarter, allowing France to take the lead at 46-43. Finally, the conclusion of the match was remarkable for both coaching and skill. The teams were neck and neck. The Czech Republic led 58-61 with 1 minute remaining after a beautiful three-point shot.
And the psychological battle began, between the players and the coaches. Timeouts followed after the baskets, allowing the teams to reorganize in the opponent’s camp. Until the last timeout, the score was 64-63 for France when a player from the Czech Republic scored a three-point shot, giving her team the victory with 3 seconds remaining: 64-66.
Thanks to this victory, the Czechs reclaimed second place at the expense of Belgium but could not surpass France in point average. Thus, the French girls finished as the overall winners of this 7th edition of the Laure Écard Tournament.
Thibault Bourru
