It was Nice that bore the brunt of Lyon’s awakening.
The Lionesses lined up victories and defeated Cavigal (67-86) after an impressive collective performance. Starting strong in the game (12-26, 10′), Haley Peters (21 points) and her teammates never relinquished control.
After trailing 12 to 26 at the end of the first quarter, CNB got back on track with a steal by Géraldine Robert (17 points, 13 rebounds) and a good stint by former Lioness Migna Touré (16 points, 5 assists). The Lionesses’ lead (up to 18 points) gradually evaporated until the response from Haley Peters and Sandrine Gruda, who were impactful on both sides of the court.
The Niss’Angels, who closed the gap to 32-45 by halftime, maintained the pace at the start of the third quarter with sharp transition play.
Nice briefly cut the deficit to under 10 points thanks to Géraldine Robert (17 pts). With a three-pointer from Alix Duchet (10 points), they even came within two points (45-47) of the Lionesses.
But Lyon quickly accelerated again and calmly responded with two long-distance shots from Rebecca Allen (13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) and a fast break initiated by Ingrid Tanqueray and finished by Haley Peters.
The Lionesses’ defensive intensity didn’t wane in the final quarter, exhausting the Nice team. As a result, the Lionesses were able to unfold their game in the last minutes to secure a 67 to 86 victory.
Sandrine Gruda (14 points, 13 rebounds) and Marième Badiane (18 points) performed well on the Côte d’Azur.
In terms of statistics: 28/67 (42%) shooting (Lyon 30/66); 7/11 free throws (Lyon 13/17), 30 rebounds (Lyon 44).
