Having been battered for three quarters of the match, Jean-Marc Dupraz’s (young) men were able to find the resources to finally win against Nanterre, 90-87, in a Beaublanc delighted with this first. Especially since Limoges CSP had not won its first match in the championship since the 2016-2017 season!
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As Nicolas Lang said two days before this meeting: “We tend to see the first game of the season as a final. Yes, but we mustn’t get carried away. Because when you’ve played it, you realize that there are twenty-nine left behind!“
Wise words from the Limoges boss, and yet, even he can still learn…
In particular the taste of a victory at the opening of the championship, something he had never experienced since his arrival at the CSP!
But to get there, God, or rather Saint Peter, what a long evening it was.
For this return, Beaublanc was not quite full. Which did not prevent a nice booing at the reception of the Nanterre players, except for Desi Rodriguez, back, and a nice ovation for those of the CSP, as the young and young newcomers were waiting for, so eager to discover this hall and its public.
Were they galvanized by it?
In any case, Limoges started the match perfectly and, with some success from long distance, found themselves in the lead, 11-6, after just three minutes.
Was the young team, which was promised to play for survival this season, going to upset the predictions from the start, facing this solid Nanterre team, seasoned in the late Pro A?
No way!
Very quickly, the visitors regained the upper hand, particularly in a Limoges racket that was too permeable, and the score of 18-26, at the end of the first quarter, was both harsh and fair; almost lenient.
Kenny Baptiste and Trevon Bluiett were the rare satisfactions, when Tyrell Terry, who we know will have to be patient, but from whom so much is expected, sometimes seemed lost on the floor.
Tyrell Terry, author of a great first match in the colours of Limoges CSP, but will still have to improve.
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© Jean-Martial Jonquard/France Télévisions
The CSP gave a better image in the second quarter.
Well, at times. Because every time the Limoges players seemed to be getting back into the game, Nanterre invariably pulled away.
However, without the gap appearing prohibitive.
Especially since Terry’s talent was finally showing its face.
All the more so since the aggressiveness and intensity that Jean-Marc Dupraz had announced he expected from his men were finally being seen, particularly in defense.
And without it being spectacular, since there was still a six-point difference at half-time (39-45), at least Limoges had stopped the bleeding and won the quarter-time.
The break did not seem to have changed much.
Certainly, the Limoges players played better, but if the score changed, the gap did not, and there was still a six-point gap (49-55) at the 35th minute.
But there was only one left, a minute and a half later!
It was in the second half that the CSP built its success against Nanterre.
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© Jean-Martial Jonquard/France Télévisions
And if Nanterre pulled away again, CSP came back again, thanks, among other things, to a very valuable three-point basket from Terry, thirty seconds from the siren.
Better still, fighting like the dead, the locals offered themselves one last possession, which Lucas Beaufort concluded… 61-63, at the start of the last quarter!
Money time, as we know, is normally the last few minutes, or even the last one, which, as we also know, can last much longer in basketball.
This Sunday evening in Beaublanc, it lasted even longer!
With 8 minutes to go, Bluiett finally gave Limoges the lead again, 64-63.
But almost immediately after, a missed three-pointer from Rodriguez, converted on a second chance, put the visitors back in the lead.
The young CSP team had to work hard to turn the match around against Nanterre.
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© Jean-Martial Jonquard/France Télévisions
Limoges forced and missed their shots, but Lang, with three points, kept the team alive, and Terry, decidedly, made them the leader of the match again.
Better still, in the wake of the American, and with a three-pointer this time scored by Baptiste, the CSP led 81-74, with just over three minutes to play.
Beaublanc was seriously beginning to believe it…
But like this match, it wasn’t going to be that simple. Because in the 38th minute on the scoreboard, the score was only 82-79.
Before going to 87-79, a minute later!
This time it was over…
And no.
Because in this interminable last minute, Nanterre went into leech mode and, with a loss of the ball here, a missed free throw there on the Limoges side, nearly plunged the Limoges supporters into complete doubt.
Finally, 90-85, with three seconds left.
This time it was over… Still not!
Possession, and one timeout later, the score was 90-87.
One second eight to play, ball in Limoges, Jean-Marc Dupraz took a time-out in turn. Was the impossible going to happen?
This time no, the siren sounded, and Beaublanc was capsized with happiness.
There will inevitably be matches this season that will not turn out like this, situations that will not necessarily reverse like this Sunday evening, matches where, when the opponent displays a collective evaluation of 109, against 90 for oneself, victory will not be at the end…
In short, not necessarily something to get excited about, but whatever.
The players, 8 new and 23 years old on average, it must be remembered, could well afford a long clapping and a beautiful moment of communion with their supporters.The season will be long, but it has started well, and in a state of mind that was a pleasure to see, after the long nightmare of the end of last season.
He who did not know it, it is precisely the positive of this first that Kenny Baptiste wanted to remember, in a press conference: “It was a big win, the crowd helped us. We had a close call in the money-time, but we stayed together, and it worked! We stayed solid, united, we helped each other at the end, we certainly scored some baskets, but we stayed together, focused, and that was the most important thing.“
(On the gaps during the meeting): “Frankly, it’s great, because when we were behind, we didn’t give up, we managed to come back. And the money-time proved to us that you should never give up. And the older ones helped us stay focused to get the victory.“
(On his match): “I helped the team, that was the most important thing, and it feels good. I’m in the continuity of things, for me, when you give yourself in defense, in attack, it follows by itself. Helping the team, being in the right positions, making the right screens, cutting, making the right baskets when necessary and making defensive stops… That’s the most important thing, and then it’s for the team. For the team, always!“
Jean-Marc Dupraz, although satisfied, wanted to be more restrained, and was already thinking about the work awaiting his team.
“Is there reason to be reassured? I don’t really know… If we had lost, you would have asked me if there was reason to panic, and I would have told you no, so… This is just the beginning, that’s what I told the players in the locker room. We played a match where we went for the victory, it’s good, it’s a satisfaction, we have to be happy, but now, it’s also measured, because we saw that we have many, many things to improve, to work on.“
(On the intensity he expects from his players): “I wanted intensity and I only had it in sequences. If we look at the second and third quarters, yes, we were able to raise the defensive level, but we conceded 26 points in the first, and that’s way too much. We need to improve this physical intensity, especially defensively. As much on small errors, lack of fluidity, one or two guys who mess up on systems, well… As much as we can accept certain things, as much on the toughness and on the aggressiveness, the intensity, less. So I will still have a few things to say to the guys, despite the victory.“
Jean-Marc Dupraz, happy with the result, but aware of the work that awaits his team.
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© Jean-Martial Jonquard/France Télévisions
(On the displayed state of mind): “The fact that we didn’t give up, yes, that can be a source of satisfaction, and can be reassuring to see that the team hung on. Will it always be like that? I don’t know, but at least the team showed character. We have to rely on that state of mind.“
(On Tyrell Terry, the young American leader): “Tyrell, for a first, in 23 minutes, that’s what he did. Afterwards, defensively, he’s going to have to toughen up his game. Physically, we knew he’s a bit light, but he’s going to have to adapt, be more aggressive. But that will come.“
(On the public’s contribution this evening): “Beaublanc? It helps. The players didn’t give up, it’s true, we have to pay tribute to them, even if it’s their job. But at the same time, we have a room that helps us, that pushes us, so it encourages you to be resilient and to hang on. And that’s what we want to see.”
The CSP will travel to Gravelinnes on Sunday, September 29, before meeting Beaublanc, facing Dijon, on October 5.
