The step was far too high for Lattes-Montpellier. Largely beaten during the first leg of the Women’s League semi-finals (95-64), the Héraultaises, in the lead at the break (+6), existed for a period on Sunday, before physically exploding against the vice-champions of ‘Europe. By toughening up the tone defensively in the second act, carried by the Hampton-Salaun doublet, Villeneuve-d’Ascq sought a new success (103-67), validating its ticket for the final.
If it seemed difficult – not to say impossible – to see the Héraultaises catch up, or even win against a team that had beaten them in the last five confrontations, Romane Bernies and her teammates aspired to show a better face. The affair was off to a very good start thanks to a start punctuated by first intention shots which took the Northerners out of their comfort zone and into a more composed game.
Between defensive generosity and the failure of the long-distance gunners (5/18, 27% 3-point success at the break), Villeneuve-d’Ascq conceded 28 units in the first quarter (14-28). A sign of much greater resistance, the Héraultaises exceeded the 40-point mark before half-time… they who had waited until the end of the 3rd in the first leg to reach this mark. But the legs and success of Alston (22 points), Bernies (11 points, 3 assists) and Jenkins (9 pts, 5 assists, 4 rebounds) ended up weakening against the northern armada.
In the final, Rachid Meziane’s players will face Julie Barennes’ protégés, victorious from Tarbes, earlier in the afternoon.
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