By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A two times Cup holder, Chalon/Saone will meet Pro A stunner Monaco in the Final for the French “Leaders Cup”.
Chalon was the first team to advance thanks to an offensive game that was a thing of beauty, which helped them face absolutely no trouble against Villeurbanne (90-71). After a first quarter in which both teams were close, Chalon assumed control thanks to consecutive points by Justin Brownlee.
If Villeurbanne could simply not keep up enough in that period of time, their opponents made sure to leave them completely behind in the third quarter, making it a 19 points game, nine minutes into the second half. It was all a matter of preserving that lead for Chalon, to gain entry to the grand final. John Roberson with 16 points and 6 assists was the leader of the winners.
While not consistent for 40 minutes, Monaco was superior enough from Strasbourg (82 – 65) in order to find little difficulty into making it to the Final. With DJ Cooper organizing the game masterfully (9 assists) and Yakouba Quattara leading the scoring (18 points), Monaco was always one step ahead of its opponents who lacked the tools in order to appear competitive.
The poor shooting and feeble individual defense betrayed Strasbourg. As the game progressed, Vincent Collet’s players looked weaker and weaker, practically unable to stop Monaco’s rush to victory.
FINAL:
Elan/Chalon – Monaco