In contrast to their last match (68-55 against Saint-Amand), the women from Nice played only ten minutes against Mondeville. Their future will be decided, as expected, in the play-downs, but this home defeat could be costly in terms of maintaining their position in the French Women’s Basketball League.
They need to regroup as quickly as possible. During the final phases, Wani Muganguzi’s players will face, in turn, Saint-Amand, Mondeville, and La Roche-sur-Yon. Before the match against USOM, the only undecided aspect was the intermediate ranking: the Normandy team could outpace the northern team, but regardless, the team from Nice would secure third place. Given the stakes, a tough fight was anticipated at the Brancolar gymnasium, rather than the usual Leyrit hall.
A promising first quarter
Right from the jump ball, both teams struggled to find the net. It was only in the second minute that Svenia Brunckhorst opened the scoring with two free throws (2-0, 2’). Like the Mondeville team, the Nice team waited until the end of the possession time to attempt their shots. Often without success. In fact, there were a lot of missed opportunities: 5 successful shots out of 18 attempts (28%) for the home team and 3 out of 16 (16%) for the visitors. “We had a good first quarter where we defended well,” analyzed the Cavigal coach. The Niss’Angels controlled the game (13-8, 10’) but things quickly took a turn for the worse. “We didn’t maintain our intentions,” stated Wani Muganguzi. “We weren’t able to work together and maintain our level of concentration.” The Normandy team took control, and the Nice team became mere spectators to their downfall. In five minutes, the Nice team conceded eighteen points and scored only two (15-26, 15’). Jodie Cornelie-Sigmundova (11 points) carried her team, but by halftime, her opponents were leading by nine points (21-30, 20’).
Falling out of and never returning to the game
A gap perhaps too large? In any case, the Niss’Angels’ problems persisted after the break (25-45, 26’). “Offensively, it’s difficult. We are taking the shots they wanted us to, not the ones we had planned to attempt,” explained Wani Muganguzi. Mamignan Touré, silent until then, tried to rally her teammates with her first successful three-point shot (30-46, 28’). Even though Alix Duchet and her teammates hustled until the end of the game, they never managed to catch up on the scoreboard (35-54, 34’). This surge of combativeness, their coach described as “the energy of despair.” Against USO Mondeville, the Nice team lost definitively in the last game of the regular season (43-66, 40’). Now, Wani Muganguzi’s players are focusing on the play-downs (see schedule in the box). With a favorable point average (+6), Cavigal, in third place, has a slight advantage over La Roche-sur-Yon, in fourth. “We start with a slight disadvantage, but nothing is decided yet,” reassured the Nice coach. “If we win three matches, we will be almost sure to stay up.” Only time will tell..!
Solène FALAISE
