The Fosséens narrowly failed again, Friday evening, for their first match of the season at the Palais des sports in Marseille (73-79). Fos Provence ends 2024 with a sixth defeat in their last seven matches.
The matches follow one another and are similar for Fos Provence which again lacked control for its first of the season at the Palais des sports in Marseille, Friday evening. In the same way as in Toulon last week, the money-time tipped in favor of the opposing team, the fault of this famous “lack of collective experience” which Rémi Giuitta's troops lack.
Already deprived of Mamadou “Petit” Niang, the Fosséens saw Vincent Vent and Willan Marie-Anaïs concede two personal fouls each after less than five minutes of play. The start was Norman with the 3-pointer from Wendell Davis to pass the score at 5-15. The Provençaux rectified the situation thanks to long-distance skill, with the impeccable Robert Turner III on three occasions and the newcomer Brandon Young to quickly pick up the score (22-22).
The Norman hole in the money-time
The 2+1 followed by Damien Bouquet's 3-pointer briefly brought the Black&Yellow in the lead (27-24), until Kentan Facey's two baskets and Yann Siegwarth's 3+1 put Caen back in the lead at the break (34-38).
Despite a few points left on the way from free throws and a Lucas Bourhis in an evening without attack (0/7 shooting after three quarters), Fos Provence Basket went the distance in the third period, with once again the tandem Turner III – Young at the helm to resist the assaults of Kentan Facey, Wendell Davis and Marc-Eddy Norelia (51-54).
Brandon Young briefly allowed BYers to believe in a new award-winning basket at the buzzer of possession (56-57). But he missed a little spark at the end to make the difference, like the ball lost by Brandon Young at 66-70, where Caen Basket Calvados knew how to put the right shots, like Wendell Davis' 3-pointer, Yann Siegwarth's throws and Malela Mutuale's basket to finish the job and allow the Normans to win (73-79).
Bouquet : “We’re not far, not much is missing”
Beyond the frustration of going on vacation with another defeat in his bags, Damien Bouquet kept his head held high after the match. “We didn’t go farhe declared after the meeting. It was difficult because we fought well, despite everything that we had against us, whether it was “Little” who was sick, mistakes very quickly from our insides… We quickly got penalized but we fight as best we can. We are neck and neck the whole match. It's not like we're far away every time. The energy and the desire are there, sometimes we lack a little concentration, there is fatigue which also plays a role, but we are not far away. There’s not much missing.”
The Fosséens will attack 2025 with a big trip to Roanne before hosting Aix-Maurienne in Fos-sur-Mer on January 18.
Romain DAVESNE
Fos Provence 73 – Caen 79
18e Pro B day.
Marseille Sports Palace.
Match stats.
