The clock stopped at 5’37 in the first quarter. Barely more than four minutes after the kick-off of the match between Champagne Basket and Roanne this Friday, September 20 on the floor of the Palais des sports Pierre-de-Coubertin, the light started playing tricks.
At first, a few spotlights went out, plunging the venue into semi-darkness, a consequence of the violent storms raging over the city. Twenty-five minutes later, while the power had still not returned and the players had long since resumed their warm-up, a second blackout left Coubertin in total darkness. The spectators then turned on their cell phones to relight the venue.
At 8:45 p.m., a meeting between the two coaches, Vincent Dumestre and Thomas Andrieux, and their two captains, Charles Galliou and Antoine Diot, took place in front of the scorer’s table. The decision was then made to postpone the match to a later date, before it was rescheduled for this Saturday, September 21 (3:30 p.m.).
