SLUC Nancy BASKET won a great victory against Bourg en Bresse and must now head to Le Portel to finish the year 2024 well.
What an atmosphere in Gentilly when Shevon Thomson slammed a dunk in the last second of a benchmark match for the entire Nancy team against its bête noire the Jeunesse Laïque de Bourg en Bresse. The 6,000 spectators who had just experienced a match of high intensity could exult!
Jostled in the first quarter, manhandled inside by the Kokila-Pensa pair, then led 12-20, the SLUC tried to resist then courageously returned to the game, finding solutions notably by Clément Frisch (14 points, 5 rebounds ) and Chris Clemons (17 points and 8 assists), Nancy came back at halftime 38-41. In the second half it is mainly Shevon Thomson who will be the executioner of the Burgiens with 28 points, 12 rebounds and 36 evaluation. The SLUC managed to take a few points ahead which it would keep until the final whistle 84-79, despite the talent of the Fauthoux squad!
A deserved victory for SLUC which ended the series of 5 consecutive defeats over the last two seasons against Bourg. The people of Nancy are back in the ranking and are close behind Strasbourg and Le Mans in the Top8.
But the Cougars must not rest on their laurels because the trip to the Opal Coast planned for this Friday the day after Christmas to face ESSM Le Portel in its cauldron is anything but a sinecure.
The club led by Eric Girard achieves a small miracle every season. With one of the smallest budgets in the division, the ESSM caused a sensation: 8e Last season, the club reached the playoffs for the first time and gave themselves the opportunity to play in a European Cup this season. A real feat!
However following this performance, the club was robbed of its best elements: Edon Maxhuni, Bastien Vautier, Phlandrous Fleming and David DiLéo left and the Stella staff had to rebuild everything.
This year the 5 major is as consistent as ever: A Lithuanian leader in charge, Kristers Zoriks (1.5 points and 3.2 assists), the experienced Lahaou Konate (ex Boulogne Levallois) at the back, the solid Ivan Fevrier on the wing (11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists). Inside the racket is solid with Digué Diawara (10.5 points and 4.2 rebounds) who remained despite numerous requests and the pivot Jack Nunge (10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists) who signs with 15.4 the best evaluation of the team. The bench can bring in particular the leader Gaëtan Meyniel who came from Lille in ProB, the scorer DeAndre Gholston (13.6 points and 3.8 rebounds) and the former Nancy Mathieu Boyer.
Le Portel only points to 15e place with a record of 3 wins and 10 losses. The club also remains on a bad series of 5 consecutive defeats and the situation is becoming worrying. The fault is an attack among the weakest in the Elite (70.2 points) and a skill at half mast (49.4% at two points). Too bad, because the defense is holding up (4e of Betclic with only 79.6 points collected).
Beaten in Monaco 78-56 despite good resistance then in Saint-Quentin 71-54. This shows that a surge is expected from the Chaudon side, a complicated venue to play in front of an always passionate audience. The ESSM is capable of boosting itself to ensure its survival, it has been in the DNA of the club for many years.
SLUC Nancy must therefore absolutely be wary of this team which has not said its last word, far from it. Let's remember last season when the SLUC was poorly on board for more than 30 minutes, only owed its salvation to a 4e surreal quarter-time (32-12) and an XXL performance from Antony Labanca (29 points at 7/9 from three points). SLUC returned to Lorraine with an unexpected 93-88 victory!
You will have to be very focused from the start of the match, not letting the Stellists and the public get excited. Players will have to get involved on defense, limit offensive rebounds and stay in control of the racket. In short, be strong physically and nervously in order to end the year 2024 well.
Good match and Happy New Year!
GO SLUC !
MC
