For the 14th round of Betclic Elite, the Roca Team hosted Gravelines at Gaston Médecin. A match dominated thoroughly by the players of Vassilis Spanoulis (101-82).
Two teams with opposite ambitions faced off today. Indeed, Monaco, leader of Betclic Elite, hosted the team of Gravelines-Dunkerque, 14th with a record of only three wins against 11 losses.
Monaco was therefore the favorite in this matchup, but caution was needed against the BCM fighting for survival and playing with intensity in every game.
Kevarius Hayes initiated the Monaco attack by scoring six of his team’s first eight points. Despite this, BCM held on and was neck and neck with Monaco in the first six minutes of the game. Then, the first substitutions took place, and Monaco’s team effort made the difference without having to strain, finishing the quarter with a seven-point lead: 26-19.
Monaco pressed the accelerator and quickly gained a ten-point lead. The Roca Team struggled with three-pointers but aggressively attacked the basket as much as possible to provoke free throws. At halftime, Monaco stood at 13/16, and Gravelines at 2/5, clearly making the difference at halftime. However, BCM managed to keep the gap under 10 points at halftime thanks to a few individual exploits, notably two consecutive very difficult shots by Chris Babb.
Gravelines-Dunkerque thus allowed itself to continue hoping for a victory. The score was 52-44 for Vassilis Spanoulis’s men.
The teams from the north came back within three points thanks to seven quick points from Edon Maxhuni. The Monaco team regained their lead quite swiftly through some individual achievements and well-executed counter-attacks. However, despite a few mistakes, BCM continued to believe, coming back to a tie at 3:40 remaining in this period.
Struggling? Call Mike James!
The Monaco team didn’t have their usual long-range accuracy, which cost them. The Roca Team found other solutions, relying on Mike James and some mistakes from their opponents to widen the gap again. They ensured the essentials with a 10-2 run to finish the quarter: 76-68.
The 14th-ranked team continued to hope, but Monaco showcased its experience to finish the match properly and secure a third win in as many games this week. The final score was far from representative of the match (101-82).
Mike James ended as the top scorer with 20 points tonight, guiding his team when BCM came back in the third quarter, delivering a commanding performance. Matthew Strazel wonderfully finished the match with three consecutive long-range shots.
Monaco didn’t show their best side but secured the essentials, as for BCM, the fight for survival continues, with several games against direct competitors in the coming weeks.
Monaco will play again on Thursday against Paris Basket-Ball as part of the Euroleague.
