Beaublanc is no longer impregnable! For the first time this season, the CSP lost a home game, 69-75 against Cholet. Limoges struggled for a long time, even tied, but a terrible breath of fresh air in the third quarter sealed the fate of the match, facing Angevins who were more than ever leaders of the championship.
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In warrior mode!
This was the Ultra-Green’s injunction, on their banner displayed before the match, and this is how the CSP began the meeting.
It was no less necessary against Cholet, surprising but solid leader of the championship, who traveled to Beaublanc without complexes, after his convincing victory at the Astroballe on the last day.
A Beaublanc more than ever adorned in the colors of Limoges, dressed in green and white t-shirts by the club, celebrating the recent record of three points scored in his career by Nicolas Lang.
If Jean-Marc Dupraz’s men drew first, the Angevins responded tit for tat, and took the advantage, 5-7, in the second minute. But Bluiett, then Lang immediately, both from long distance, allowed Limoges to get back in front (13-10, 6′).
This first quarter was nothing more than a constant back-and-forth, with neither team managing to gain a significant gap.
A tough fight therefore, punctuated nevertheless by numerous blunders on both sides (five lost balls on each side, and less than 50% success on shots), which Cholet won by a short head, 18-20, despite a last successful battle, but a missed shot from Mamadou Guisse.
The second quarter started on the same basis, the visitors confirming their lead, before Limoges came back and took the lead (24-22, 12′). But from a 29-26 two minutes later, the score increased to 31-36 in the 17th minute. Five points wasn’t a lot, but it was still the biggest gap of the match, in favor of the Choletais.
Without panicking, without giving up, the CSP nevertheless returned little by little. Of course, nothing, but at the siren, and one, Cholet had just gone three minutes without scoring, and two, the gap had become identical to that at the end of the first act, two points behind (34 -36).
Many would have signed for such a scenario, as we promised the Limougeauds to do so.ride on it“, before the meeting.
The only downsides: the Limougeaude skill, still poor (31% in total, Nicolas Lang only 2/7 at three points), a racket that is far too leaky, and an opponent absolutely not at his level.
Obviously, the CSP had something to do with it, but to what extent? This was the question asked by the supporters, convinced that the fate of the match would depend on the ability of their team to not only remain constant, but even more, to raise their level.
Bad news: it was a more conquering Cholet who returned to the floor. And if the CSP had not lost its courage, it unfortunately had not found its address. 43-55 at 26′, it was not a cold snap, but an Angevine chest attack which had just caught Beaublanc (thank you Mr. Lapointe!).
The Limougeaud cauldron was starting to boil again, following two refereeing decisions and an opposing ruling, but nothing helped, and still without a target, and accumulating blunders, Nicolas Lang and his troop saw the visitors irremediably disappear, 46- 62.
Well, irremediably, it was not yet sure. Because the CSP did not abdicate, although penalized to the extreme. But precisely, these blows of fate, or rather whistles, galvanized Limoges and its public. And while Cholet missed many of the free throws offered, the score came back to 63-69 in the 36′. Would we witness an almost miraculous comeback, and would Beaublanc remain an impregnable fortress?
Alas, alas, no! The visitors moved forward again, and the CSP even lost Baptiste, then its best scorer (13pts), crippled with cramps. The last minute offered a final, foolish hope, but in vain. 69 -75, it was not far, it was not infamous against the leader, but this terrible third quarter had cost Limougauds the match.
If the ball is in the Limougeau hands of Alexandre Chassang, it is Cholet who took the upper hand over the CSP, winning at Beaublanc 69-75.
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© André Abalo/France Télévisions
Full of praise for the Limouge team, Fabrice Lefrançois, the Cholet coach, still savored the victory of his men, at the end of a match.little flashy” but of a rough and epic fight, in such a boiling room.
Jean-Marc Dupraz, on the contrary, did not hide his frustration: “I had the feeling that we weren’t far away. I would have to watch the video, but I had the impression that there were certain passages where certain whistles hurt us. At the same time, Cholet is a very aggressive team, all five players are aggressive at the same time, and I experienced that thirty years ago, when I was here in 93 (laughter). Maybe I’m wrong too…
Afterwards, we must not take away the victory from Cholet, they won the match. They are solid, but I think we shook them up a lot, that’s a satisfaction.
Afterwards, the regrets are especially in the third quarter. We have the energy to do big defensive phases in the last, why don’t we do it in the third?
Honestly, we also missed countless baskets, certainly shots that were a little complicated sometimes, but we also had open shots, and we were far too clumsy to hope to win this type of match.“.
Next meeting for the Limougeauds, next Saturday November 16, on the Nancy floor.
