By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Victor Wembanyama registered 31 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks, two assists, and one steal over 34 minutes in a blowout loss for Metropolitans 92.
Roanne overcame the latest monster double-double of the frontrunner for the top spot of the 2023 NBA draft and instead dictated the tempo in France’s Betclic Elite LNB Pro A Regular Season Round 19 on the way to a convincing win, 102-84, in Palais des sports Marcel-Cerdan Friday evening.
Ronald March put in 23 points for the winning side, coached by Jean-Denys Choulet. Silvio De Sousa had 16 points, Maxime Roos chipped in 14 points, and JaKeenan Gant ended up with 12 points. Stefan Moody posted a ten-point, ten-assist double-double plus five steals.
Wembanyama, 19, logged 11 points, four rebounds, and three blocks in his first shift stretching just over six minutes in the first quarter. However, his side struggled to hold on and eventually settled to trailing in double-digits for most of the second half. His impressive reach produced plenty of highlights in both offense and defense but was outmatched by a solid team effort frustrating his side.
Failing to convert on the league leader in points, rebounds, blocks, and evaluation, the team coached by Vincent Collet fell to 14-5 with a second loss over ten home games in the 2022-23 edition of France’s top-flight division. Besides snapping the three-game winning streak of the hosts, Roanne shaped a three-game winning streak of its own en route to 10-9.
ASVEL versus Monaco
More Friday action between teams at the bottom of the table, Fos-sur-Mer held on for the 77-73 victory against ADA Blois. Wrapping up Round 19 Sunday afternoon, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and AS Monaco will switch from the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague to a direct domestic battle, a replay of the epic championship series of the 2022 LNB Pro A Playoffs. La Roca Team carries a league-high 15-3 record.
Pro A Round 19:
Fos-sur-Mer – ADA Blois 77-73
Metropolitans 92 – Roanne 84-102
Nanterre 92 – ESSM Le Portel (Saturday, 20:00 CET)
SLUC Nancy – Cholet (Saturday, 20:00 CET)
Limoges CSP – BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque (Saturday, 20:00 CET)
Le Mans – Elan Bearnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez (Saturday, 20:00 CET)
JDA Dijon – Paris (Saturday, 20:00 CET)
SIG Strasbourg – JL Bourg (Sunday, 15:15 CET)
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne – AS Monaco (Sunday, 17:00 CET)
Photo Credit: Getty Images