France LNB: Top clubs on track for showdown

As each week of the France LNB comes and goes, it looks more and more like this seasons top clubs, BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque (16-6) and Strasbourg (16-6), are headed for a Week 30 showdown for the regular season title. In Week 13, when Strasbourg defeated Nanterre and Gravelines fell to Lyon-Villeurbanne, the two clubs drew even in the standings and have been that way for the last 10 weeks. They matched each other win for win from Week 14 through Week 21, when Strasbourg lost to Roanne and Gravelines fell to 2012 LNB Champion Chalon-Saone in overtime. As Week 22 wraps up, they got back on their winning form with Gravelines besting Poitiers, 73:60, and Strasbourg handling Le Havre, 83:73. The clubs locked horns in Week 1 with Gravelines coming out on top 82:73 at home, the rematch will be held in Strasbourg in Week 30.

There were no major upsets in Week 22 in the LNB, but eight weeks remaining in the regular season the fight for the eight playoff spots is tightening up. The top to teams are three games ahead of Le Mans and Chalon/Saone, both are one game light on their completed games. Le Mans (13-8) plays Lyon-Villeurbanne (12-9) on Monday in their Week 22 match, and Chalone (13-8) takes on Limoges (9-12) on March 12 in their rescheduled Week 18 contest. Lyon-Villeurbanne (12-9) is a game light but has the same number of wins than the next group, so they sit in the No. 5 spot for now. Right behind them, with their full 22 scheduled games completed, are Roanne (12-10) and Paris-Levallois (12-10). Fighting for the No. 8 spot, at 11-11, are Orleans, Nanterre, and Dijon. Limoges currently sits with a 9-12 record, one game light, so a win over Chalon/Saone would put them a game out of the group in No. 8. Two games back of the No. 8 spot at 9-12 are Le Havre and Cholet, They are close enough with eight games to play to move up, but Cholet has lost four of their last five, including a two-point defeat to Gravelines in Week 19 after holding a five-point lead at the end of the third frame. Le Havre has won three of their last five and their remaining games include mostly teams ahead of them in the standings.

Week 22 Matches:
Strasbourg – Le Havre, 83:73
Strasbourg got 23 points and 7 rebounds from Alexis Ajinca as they downed Le Havre to keep pace with BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque at the top of the France LNB standings. The 83:73 win at home improved Strasbourg to 16-6 on the season, while Le Havre dropped to 9-13 and on the outside of the playoff spots for now.

The hosts jumped out to a big lead with a 9:0 run mid-way through he first 10 and outscoring Le Havre 28:19 heading into the second frame. The guests chipped off four in the second to retire to the dressing rooms at the half down five, 45:40. Le Havre managed to knock off another point in the third, setting up the final 10 with the score at 64:60. Strasbourg stayed consistent on offense, hitting another 19, but played better defense and held their visitors to just 13 fourth quarter points, to come out with win 16 on a final score of 83:73.

Ajinca’s 23 for Strasbourg was game-high. Jeff Greer added 15 points and 5 rebounds, and John Shurna dropped in 12 points.

Bangaly Fofana led the way for Le Havre with 16 points and 5 rebounds. Vlad Moldoveanu added 15 points, and Chester Mason dropped in 10.

BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque – Poitiers, 73:60
Poitiers (7-15) gave BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque (16-6) a bit of a scare on Saturday as the No. 15 club went into the fourth quarter only down by two before finally succumbing to the co-leading of the LNB in the fourth, 73:60. Gravelines got 20 points from Dwight Buycks in the win and moved to 16-6 and stay even with Strasbourg in the No. 1 slot of the France LNB. Poitiers falls to 7-15 with the tough road loss.

Gravelines opened the contest with a solid 16:8 first quarter, but gave up much of that advantage with a 17:22 second quarter to head into the intermission 33:30. Poitiers knocked off another point of their deficit in the third, outscoring their hosts 19:20, to finish the third frame only down two, 52:50. Gravelines took care of business in the final frame, added 11 to the margin by netting 21, while only allowing Poitiers 10.

Buycks was game-high for BCM with 20 points. Winston Kennedy added 12, Abdoulaye Mbaye contributed 11 points and 4 rebounds, Ousmane Camara netted 10 while grabbing 7 rebounds.

Antonio Grant and Ahmad Nivins sank 12 points each for Poitiers.

Limoges – Nancy, 82:75

In a battle against two of the clubs at the lower end of the standings, Limoges got a big 82:75 win over Nancy at home as they fight to get into race for a spot in the playoffs. Limoges was led by shooting ace Kyle McAlarney’s 22 points (9 of 16 from inside the arc and 2 of 5 outside) and Nancy got a game-high performance from Brandon Brown, who dropped in 23 on 9 of 11 (81.8%) from inside the arc and accumulated a 26 evaluation on the game. Nancy didn’t help their cause at the free throw line in this one, only shooting 17 of 30 (56.7%) in a seven-point loss.

This contest was close for three of the four quarters, but the hosts were able to pull away in the second to get the distance they needed to pick up their ninth win. The two battled to an 18-all tie at the end of the first frame. During the second 10, Limoges was able to put up a nine-point lead, outscoring their visitors 22:13 to head into the lockerroom up 40:31. Nancy was able to cut three off the margin by winning the third quarter, 18:21, to head into the final 10 down six, 58:52. Limoges was able to hold on in the fourth to earn 82:75 win.

McAlarney’s 22 was team-high that earned him a 22 evaluation on the night. Noble Boungou-Colo added 13 points and 7 rebounds, Brad Wanamaker dropped in 12 points, Teddy Gipson added 10, and Jon Brockman contributed 8 points and 10 rebounds.

Brown’s 23 led Nancy on the night. Marcellus Sommerville racked up 17 points and 7 rebounds, Diabate Souleyman added 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, Jamal Shuler dropped in 13.

Dijon – Boulazac, 78:59
Dijon picked up an important victory on Friday when they outlasts Boulazac in a ‘must win’ contest. Their 78:59 win at home kept them in a tight race for a spot in the LNB quarterfinals by improving their record to 11-11 and in a tie for the No. 8 spot. Boulazac drops to 6-16 with threats of relegation to Pro B.

Boulazac had built a nine-point advantage after the first half, 28:39, but then fell apart in the second half, allowing Dijon to outscore them 30:12 and 20:8 in the last two quarters. The hosts got a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds from Andre Harris, 20 points and 7 rebounds from Zach Moss, 13 points rom Jeremy Leloup, and 10 points from David Melody.

Boulazac got 16 points and 9 rebounds from Alex Acker, 15 points and 7 rebounds from Amadi McKenzie, 12 points and 7 rebounds from Darryle Monroe, and 10 points from Yannick Gaillou.

Paris-Levallois – Cholet, 84:70
Paris-Levallois stayed in the hunt with a solid 84:79 win over playoff hopeful, Cholet Basket, on Friday. Sean May turned in a huge day for Paris, connecting on 12 of 17 (70.6%) inside the arc on his way to a game-high 26 points, 7 rebounds and tying his season-high evaluation at 30.

Paris took the lead early and kept it all the way through the end, starting with a 22:17 first quarter, then extending to 46:38 at the half. They pushed their advantage to double figure with a 22:15 third frame and gave one back in the fourth, while earning a 12-10 record off an 84:70 win. Cholet drops to 9-13 on the year.

May’s 26/7/30 performance led the way for Paris. Loius Labeyrie added 13 points (6 for 6 from the floor) and 5 rebounds on the day, and Louis Hodge dropped in 10, while dishing off an impressive 9 assists.

AJ Slaughter was on the court for 37 minutes for Cholet, amassing 19 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists, with an evaluation of 19. Aubrey Coleman added 11 points and 5 rebounds.

Orleans – Chalon / Saône, 71:69
It doesn’t happen often that you see a team win a close game shooting better from behind the arc than they shoot at the free throw line, but Orleans did just that in their 71:69 win over Chalon/Saone on Saturday. The hosts struggled at the line, shooting a dismal 7 of 25 (28%), while making up for it by dropping in 14 of 31 (45.2%) from long-range. On the other side of the scorers table, the club from Chalon/Saone, had their percentages flipped from those of their hosts, shooting an impressive 18 for 21 (85.7%) as a team from the stripe and 7 of 27 (25.9%) behind the arc.

The win keeps Orleans’ playoff hopes alive by keeping them in the No. 8 spot at 11-11, while dropping Chalon to 13-8, good enough for the No. 3 spot.

Orleans got 26 points from Chris Hill, who shot 8 of 17 (47.1% inside the arc), 6 of 11 (54.5%) outside the arc, and was 3 of 5 (60%) at the line. Hill also grabbed 6 rebounds and dished of 4 assists on the night. Chalon got a big night from their big man, Shelden Williams, who turned in a 19 point, 8 rebound performance that included Williams connecting on 9 of 9 from the free throw line and 5 of 7 from the floor.

The hosts came into this contest missing a number of key players: Marc-Antoine Pellin, Caleb Green, Mael Lebrun and Jahmar Young have missed between one and six games due to injuries; but were able to upset the No. 3 ranked club in the France LNB without them.

Orleans took a slim two-point margin, 20:18, into the second quarter, where Chalon grabbed a big lead by outscoring the hosts 12:23, to head into the break up nine, 32:41. Orleans flipped things in the third and ended up knotting the score at 53 after three. In the fourth the clubs battled to the final minute where Hill dropped in two triples to get the lead for Orleans; Marcus Denmon got off a three-ball at the buzzer for the win by came up empty giving the win to Orleans.

Hills’ 23 points paced the winners, Brian Greene added 16 points and 6 rebounds, and Martin Torrell contributed 16 points and 6 rebounds.

Williams’ 19 was matched by teammate Ilian Evtimov, who also collected 5 rebounds on the night. Blake Schilb contributed 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Denmon added 10 points and 9 rebounds to the Chalon effort.

Nanterre – Roanne, 70:77
Roanne picked up the only road win of Week 22 (so far), with a 70:77 victory over Nanterre. The win keeps Roanne in the top half of the league standings with a 12-10 record, while Nanterre continues on the bubble with an 11-11 record.

William Gradit led the way for Roanne with 22 points on 8 for 12 (66.7%) shooting inside the arc; 5 of 6 (83.3%) from behind the arc.

Roanne got off to a quick start, building a six-point lead in the first quarter to tip the score in their favor, 16:22. By the end of the first half they held a 36:45 advantage. Nanterre mounted a solid effort in the third, to not only get back in the game, but to take the lead with a one-point margin, 54:53. The advantage for Nanterre was short-lived as Roanne put eight up on them in the final 10 to come out with the seven-point margin, 70:77.

Gradit was game-high for Roanne with 22, Philip Pope Amagou added 13 points and 6 assists, and Collins Coleman contributed 12 points and 6 assists.

Chris Warren paced Nanterre with 15 points, Chris Oliver added 13 points and 7 rebounds, Trenton Meacham dropped in 11 points, and David Lighty scored 10.

March 11, 2013
Lyon-Villeurbanne – Le Mans, 0:0

French Pro A

Week 22 Matches[matches league_id=8 match_day=22 template=summary dateformat=”M. j, Y”]

Standings[standings league_id=8 show_website=false template=nolink]

Week 23 Matches[matches league_id=8 match_day=23 template=summary dateformat=”M. j, Y”]