U13 departmental “play-off” (semi-final return)
ECAC beats Sainte-Savine 62-43
Chaumont. Saturday 1er June, after winning by eight points in the first leg, the ECAC U13s hosted Sainte-Savine basket, for the semi-final return of the Aube/Haute-Marne territorial championship.
As in the previous opposition, the match started at a very high pace, but the Chaumontais, carried by their large crowd, dominated the first quarter (22-12).
At the start of the second quarter, the Chaumont team became disorganized and conceded eight points in just over a minute. Aurélien Girard takes a timely time-out, and adjusts his team which regains its defensive solidity, notably by Waël Gautier-Sdigha (2 points, 8 rebounds), solid in the paint, supported by Robin Popu (16 points, 3 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Loris Guigue (8 points, 6 assists, 9 rebounds, 1 block), who multiplied the rapid defensive returns in this very intense match. ECAC leads (30-26) at halftime.
Returning from the locker room, the Saviniens appeared more dangerous, came back to score, then managed to lead by three points. The Chaumontais react with a very efficient Mael Sylvestre (19 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds) at the finish, while Hamza El Garah (6 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound), Isaac Kapundju (6 points, 1 assist decisive, 5 rebounds) and Milhan Cantonnet (2 points), combative, in turn scored valuable points in this tense match, to lead by a small point at the end of this third quarter (42-41).
In the fourth quarter, the Aubois, physically exhausted, were no longer able to follow the pace imposed by the Chaumontais, whose riot of energy did not weaken. Relying on well-oiled collective play and great defensive solidarity, the Chaumontais widened the gap in the score in a one-sided quarter. Swan Girard (3 points, 1 assist) closes the scoring with three points. ECAC won (62-43) and will play the championship final, Saturday June 8, against Entente Nogent/Villenauxe.
