Boulazac basket Dordogne offers itself a fiery finale to the Palio for the climb
The Boulazacois, long battered by an Orléans team despite being without Lee Moore, managed to snatch victory after a thrilling encounter this Saturday evening in Loiret. A seventh consecutive victory allows them to reclaim the top spot in Pro B, after Blois' defeat in Pau the day before. An eighth victory on Tuesday against Chartres, already relegated, would give the BBD its first professional title and a return to the elite of French basketball. Relive the match in Orléans below.
Angelo Warner opened the scoring from over 6m75 and Cyrille Eliezer-Vanerot allowed Boulazac to lead 3-5 (2nd) but Lorenzo Thirouard-Samson, with an "and one" and a 3-pointer, put Orléans in the lead (9-7, 5th). While Hugo Robineau offered himself a bonus free throw after serving an alley-oop to Eliezer-Vanerot (11-12, 7th), Nathan Kuta was forgotten near the circle and the former Boulazacois Mérédis Houmounou made a thunderous entrance. He scored two consecutive three-pointers and was imitated by his captain Ludovic Negrobar, while the entire OLB further raised the intensity (22-14, 10th).
Second quarterYoung Lilian Marville increases Orléans' lead, then Lucas Demahis-Ballou scores a 3-pointer (24-17, 12th). Marcos Suka-Umu is blocked by Macéo Jack, but Warner and Robineau take over, while Rudy Demahis-Ballou tries to get the better of his little brother (29-25, 15th). When he intercepts a pass from Robineau after a three-pointer from Tomislav Gabric, a first big gap is created (36-27, 16th) and then increased (40-29, 17th).
Fortunately, Warner got his team back on track by scoring from the baseline and behind the arc. Then Robineau served Samuta Avea and Thomas Ville in the same positions to complete a 0-9 run for Périgord (40-38, 19th). Kuta made two free throws, but Eliezer-Vanerot did the same before scoring from the corner at the buzzer, on a Robineau rebound (42-43, 20th).
Third quarterAn unsportsmanlike foul by Kuta is converted by Ousman Krubally, who then comes back to counter Rudy Demahis-Ballou. With three-pointers from Avea and Eliezer-Vanerot, the BBD takes a small lead (44-51, 23rd). It is quickly canceled by Gabric, with a 3-pointer then an offensive rebound (51-51, 25th). And when Suka-Umu scores in turn from behind the arc, Houmounou responds with the backboard (56-56, 27th). Robineau then furnishes the Périgord score with free throws but the young Marville and Théo Pichard allow the OLB to attack the last act in the lead (64-62, 30th).
Fourth quarterWarner misplaced the 17th Boulazac ball of the match and Negrobar took advantage (66-62, 31st). However, the American point guard then drew an unsportsmanlike foul from Pichard and gave his team the lead again after two blocks from Eliezer-Vanerot (66-70, 34th). However, Krubally missed a bonus shot and Robineau, after a big defensive rebound, lost a ball that allowed Gabric to score from behind the arc (69-70, 35th). Warner, however, managed to sneak in and Ville scored from more than 8 meters (70-75, 36th)! But he couldn't do it again immediately and Gabric scored an "and one". Then Thirouard-Samson equalized from the penalty line (77-77, 38th).
Ville scored again from behind the arc, but Marville showed character and equalized in the same manner with 1:09 left (80-80), before both teams missed in turn. Including Krubally on two free throws with 3.2 seconds to go. But Negrobar dropped the rebound and then drew a foul before the Périgord throw-in. Suka-Umu sank the resulting free throw, and Robineau froze the ball to secure the victory.
"We fought until the last bounce to pull off this great match. But nothing is certain: we'll have to put in another great performance on Tuesday, in a fiery Palio, to make the fans proud." (Clément Cavallo, BBD captain, on France 3)
The match statistics can be found here .
Analysis and reactions to read this Monday, May 12 in “DL”
Dordogne Libre
