Basketball: Roca Team stays the course in the storm and triumphs against Cholet

Deprived of its coach, Vassilis Spanoulis, and shaken by a chaotic week, the Roca Team found the resources to dominate Cholet (89-79) and preserve what matters most in the Betclic Elite.

It’s hard to imagine a more explosive context to prepare for a championship match. Between the sidelining of Vassilis Spanoulis, salary delays, internal tensions and a court hearing without a strong decision, AS Monaco approached the reception of Cholet in a deleterious climate. Two days after a heavy defeat in Euroleague against Fenerbahçe (70-88) and a media incident that led to his coach’s absence, the Roca Team had to present itself weakened, without Daniel Theis or Nicola Mirotic and with Yohan Makoundou and David Michineau who left the club, and with a squad marked by tensions. Yet, despite this unstable setting, Monaco had an obligation to react in the Betclic Elite. Facing a Cholet Basket seeking revenge, beaten in the Leaders Cup (115-83) on February 21, the evening promised to be anything but inconsequential.

The Monegasque starting five – Mike James, Nemanja Nedovic, Alpha Diallo, Jaron Blossomgame and Kevarrius Hayes – set the tone from the opening minutes. Engaged, aggressive, the Roca Team quickly took control. Alpha Diallo punished from three-point range, Jaron Blossomgame capitalized on Cholet turnovers to shine in transition, and Monaco carved out a first significant lead (22-12, 8th minute). The end of the first quarter confirmed this good start: Elie Okobo, as if Thursday’s tensions had never existed, finished at the buzzer to make it 24-17.

But the beginning of the second quarter revealed the fragilities of the moment. In a minute, Cholet came back level, led by an incandescent Mohamed Diarra, who scored five consecutive points and then a three-pointer on a poor inbound pass by Monaco. Equality was back, and the Roca Team fell back into its bad habits. Fortunately for the home team, Mike James and Elie Okobo restarted the machine. The American point guard set up his teammate for a long-distance shot, symbolizing a rapid sporting reconciliation. Alpha Diallo, yet again, punished in transition to provide some breathing room (+13). But Cholet refused to give up. Taking advantage of Monaco’s lapses in concentration, CB reduced the gap before halftime (49-46), giving themselves a reason to believe.

An inconsistent but solid Roca Team in key moments

The third quarter started on a similar scenario: Cholet lost two balls, and Elie Okobo (21 points, the game’s leading scorer) feasted on fast breaks. Monaco regained a ten-point advantage, changed their defensive tempo and finally seemed to control the pace. But Gérald Ayayi woke up his teammates with a monumental dunk on Kevarrius Hayes, reminding everyone that CB hadn’t come as a scapegoat. The Roca Team, unable to pull away, approached the final quarter with only an eight-point lead (68-60).

Cholet kept believing. Gérald Ayayi brought his team within nine points with a three-pointer, but Nemanja Nedovic, quiet until then, appeared at the right moment to hit a crucial three-pointer (82-73, 4th minute). In the money-time, Monaco managed. Kevarrius Hayes drew fouls inside, Mike James controlled the clock, and the Roca Team locked in an essential victory. With 1’26 remaining, the game seemed decided. It was.

Final score: (89-79) for the Roca Team. Without its coach, with a reduced squad and a chaotic week weighing on them, Monaco showed character. The Roca Team never really wavered, except for a blank spell early in the second quarter, and managed to rely on its leaders to keep Cholet at arm’s length. For Monaco, this victory doesn’t erase the turbulence, but it at least allows them to stabilize a ship still rocked by turmoil. A necessary breather before tackling an end of season that promises to be eventful. Next appointment Tuesday in the French Cup at Nanterre (8 p.m.), with or without Vassilis Spanoulis? The answer in a few days.