ProB Round 23: #1 Saint-Quentin is defeated by Aix-Maurienne

The teams have now bigger motivation at this stage of Regular Season. Every game can be crucial and decide about teams' position at the end of Regular Season. There was no lack of interesting games this round. The round ended with defeat of the leader, favorites losing the games and games ending by tiny margin. Here is the last round review presented by ESL.

The most surprising game was a loss of top-ranked Saint-Quentin (13-5) in Aix-les-Bains on Friday night. Visitors were edged by sixteenth ranked Aix-Maurienne (5-13) 89-86. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Saint-Quentin. It was a great evening for American forward Antonio Ballard (194-88, college: Miami, OH) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds. point guard Theo Leon (180-92) helped adding 13 points and 5 assists. American point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright (180-95, college: Arizona) responded with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 assists. Aix-Maurienne maintains sixteenth place with 5-13 record, which they share with Antibes. Saint-Quentin at the other side still keeps top position with five games lost. Aix-Maurienne is looking forward to face higher ranked Gries/Oberhoffen (#14) in Bischwiller in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Saint-Quentin will play at home against Paris (#6) and is hoping to win this game.
Very significant was Provence Basket's (#5) just 2-point road victory against 3rd placed ADA Blois 80-78. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of ADA Blois. It was an exceptional evening for American-German guard Kevin McClain (190-96, college: Belmont) who led the winners and scored 22 points, 5 assists and 6 steals. Jamar Diggs accounted for 16 points and 5 assists. American forward Tyren Johnson (201-88, college: La-Lafayette) came up with 14 points and 8 rebounds for ADA Blois in the defeat. ADA Blois' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Provence Basket (12-6) moved-up to third place. ADA Blois at the other side dropped to the fifth position with seven games lost. They share it with Paris. Provence Basket will play against Denain Voltaire (#7) at home in the next round. ADA Blois will play against the league's second-placed Sluc Nancy and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Fourteenth-ranked Gries/Oberhoffen (6-10) gave a tough game to fifth ranked Quimper UJAP (11-6) on Friday. Quimper UJAP managed to secure only three-point victory 81-78. However their fans expected much easier game. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Gries/Oberhoffen. The best player for the winners was Paul-Lou Duwiquet who scored 25 points (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field). Filip Adamovic produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 11 assists for the guests. Quimper UJAP moved-up to fourth place. Loser Gries/Oberhoffen keeps the fourteenth position with ten games lost. Quimper UJAP will meet Saint Chamond (#15) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Gries/Oberhoffen will play against Aix-Maurienne and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
An interesting game took place in Denain where higher ranked Denain Voltaire (10-8) was upset on its own court by fifteenth ranked Saint Chamond (5-12) 78-74. Olivier Cortale orchestrated the victory by scoring 16 points and 8 rebounds (was perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line !!!). Saint Chamond maintains fifteenth place with 5-12 record. Denain Voltaire at the other side keeps the seventh position with eight games lost. Saint Chamond's next round opponent will be higher ranked Quimper UJAP (#4) at home and it will be quite challenging to get another victory.
An interesting game took place in Antibes where higher ranked Nantes (7-9) was upset on the court of seventeenth ranked Olympique Antibes (5-13) 76-67 on Friday. It was a great evening for Temidayo Yussuf who led his team to a victory scoring 18 points and 5 rebounds. Nantes' coach Jean-Baptiste Lecrosnier tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Olympique Antibes moved-up to sixteenth place, which they share with Aix-Maurienne. Nantes lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth position with nine games lost. Olympique Antibes will face higher ranked JA Vichy (#8) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 23: Evreux lost to Paris on the opponent's court 79-92. Rouen managed to outperform Souffel in a home game 77-69. Vichy Clermont managed to beat Poitiers on the road 91-85.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists by Laurence Ekperigin of Poitiers.

Blois - Fos-Provence 78-80

Very significant was Provence Basket's (#5) just 2-point road victory against 3rd placed ADA Blois 80-78. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of ADA Blois. Provence Basket made 18-of-22 charity shots (81.8 percent) during the game. They also forced 20 ADA Blois turnovers. It was an exceptional evening for American-German guard Kevin McClain (190-96, college: Belmont) who led the winners and scored 22 points, 5 assists and 6 steals. American point guard Jamar Diggs (190-88, college: Wofford, agency: Octagon Europe) accounted for 16 points and 5 assists for the winning side. American forward Tyren Johnson (201-88, college: La-Lafayette) came up with 14 points and 8 rebounds and Benjamin Monclar (191-88) added 15 points and 5 assists respectively for ADA Blois in the defeat. ADA Blois' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Provence Basket (12-6) moved-up to third place. ADA Blois at the other side dropped to the fifth position with seven games lost. They share it with Paris. Provence Basket will play against Denain Voltaire (#7) at home in the next round. ADA Blois will play against the league's second-placed Sluc Nancy and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Blois: B.Monclar 15+3reb+5ast, T.Johnson 14+8reb+2ast, M.Ndiaye 13+10reb, S.Plaucoste 11+2reb+1ast, M.Legat 8+5reb+4ast, T.Cornely 8+3reb+6ast
Fos-Provence: K.McClain 22+4reb+5ast, J.Diggs 16+1reb+5ast, E.Choquet 12+2reb+2ast, J.Augustin-Fairell 9+5reb, N.Caner-Medley 7+6reb+1ast, J.Mipoka 7+7reb+2ast

Quimper - Gries/Oberhoffen 81-78

Fourteenth-ranked Gries/Oberhoffen (6-10) gave a tough game to fifth ranked Quimper UJAP (11-6) on Friday. Quimper UJAP managed to secure only three-point victory 81-78. However their fans expected much easier game. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Gries/Oberhoffen. The best player for the winners was point guard Paul-Lou Duwiquet (194-95) who scored 25 points (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field). Bathiste Tchouaffe (196-98) chipped in 13 points. Serbian-Bosnian point guard Filip Adamovic (181-88, agency: BIG) produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 11 assists and Kevin Dinal (200-93) added 12 points and 8 rebounds respectively for the guests. Five Gries/Oberhoffen players scored in double figures. Quimper UJAP moved-up to fourth place. Loser Gries/Oberhoffen keeps the fourteenth position with ten games lost. Quimper UJAP will meet Saint Chamond (#15) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Gries/Oberhoffen will play against Aix-Maurienne and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Gries/Oberhoffen: F.Adamovic 17+1reb+11ast, J.Kebe 13+1reb+5ast, K.Dinal 12+8reb, J.Franch 12+5reb+1ast, B.Edwards 10+5reb+1ast, M.Kovacevic 8+1reb+2ast
Quimper: P.Duwiquet 25+1reb+1ast, B.Tchouaffe 13+4reb+3ast, J.Etou 10+7reb+2ast, C.Pontens 9+1reb+5ast, J.Djimrabaye 9+7reb+2ast, D.Jackson 9+3reb+3ast

Denain - St-Chamond 74-78

An interesting game took place in Denain where higher ranked Denain Voltaire (10-8) was upset on its own court by fifteenth ranked Saint Chamond (5-12) 78-74. Saint Chamond made 23-of-25 charity shots (92.0 percent) during the game, while Denain Voltaire only scored four points from the stripe. Olivier Cortale (207-97) orchestrated the victory by scoring 16 points and 8 rebounds (was perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line !!!). American swingman Marcus Relphorde (198-88, college: Colorado) contributed with 16 points for the winners. Norwegian forward Chris-Ebou Ndow (201-93, college: NW Missouri St., agency: Duran International) answered with 11 points and 8 rebounds and Congolese forward Rigo Edzata (203-97) added 15 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Denain Voltaire. Five Saint Chamond and four Denain Voltaire players scored in double figures. Saint Chamond maintains fifteenth place with 5-12 record. Denain Voltaire at the other side keeps the seventh position with eight games lost. Saint Chamond's next round opponent will be higher ranked Quimper UJAP (#4) at home and it will be quite challenging to get another victory.
Top scorers:
Denain: R.Edzata 15+6reb, S.Brown 13+1reb+4ast, C.Ndow 11+8reb+2ast, M.Missonnier 11+2reb+3ast, A.Mensah 7+3reb+5ast, D.Skara 7+4reb+2ast
St-Chamond: O.Cortale 16+8reb+2ast, M.Relphorde 16+4reb+3ast, M.Guichard 15+1reb+6ast, S.Briki 12+4reb+2ast, J.Hoyaux 12+1reb+3ast, J.Cazenobe 5+9reb+1ast

Aix-Maurienne - St-Quentin 89-86

The most surprising game was a loss of top-ranked Saint-Quentin (13-5) in Aix-les-Bains on Friday night. Visitors were edged by sixteenth ranked Aix-Maurienne (5-13) 89-86. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Saint-Quentin. It was a great evening for American forward Antonio Ballard (194-88, college: Miami, OH) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds. Point guard Theo Leon (180-92) helped adding 13 points and 5 assists. Ballard is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. American point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright (180-95, college: Arizona) responded with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 assists and American-Jamaican center Ryan Rhoomes (203-92, college: Fordham) produced a double-double by scoring 11 points and 11 rebounds. Five Aix-Maurienne and four Saint-Quentin players scored in double figures. Aix-Maurienne maintains sixteenth place with 5-13 record, which they share with Antibes. Saint-Quentin at the other side still keeps top position with five games lost. Aix-Maurienne is looking forward to face higher ranked Gries/Oberhoffen (#14) in Bischwiller in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Saint-Quentin will play at home against Paris (#6) and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
St-Quentin: H.Besson 23+1reb+1ast, A.Yeboah 16+3reb, P.Jackson-Cartwright 15+3reb+11ast, R.Rhoomes 11+11reb+3ast, B.Gillet 9+2reb+4ast, T.Bazille 6+2reb
Aix-Maurienne: A.Ballard 23+12reb, H.Kantonen 13+3reb+4ast, C.Carne 13+2reb+2ast, T.Leon 13+4reb+5ast, D.Ramseyer 12+5reb+3ast, B.Mbala 7+4reb

Antibes - Nantes 76-67

An interesting game took place in Antibes where higher ranked Nantes (7-9) was upset on the court of seventeenth ranked Olympique Antibes (5-13) 76-67 on Friday. It was a great evening for American-Nigerian center Temidayo Yussuf (201, college: LBSU) who led his team to a victory scoring 18 points and 5 rebounds. American guard Byron Wesley (196-92, college: Gonzaga) helped adding 17 points and 4 steals. American-Armenian point guard Terry Smith (185-86, college: Mercyhurst) responded with 20 points and Ludovic Negrobar (208-91) scored 14 points and 5 rebounds. Nantes' coach Jean-Baptiste Lecrosnier tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Olympique Antibes moved-up to sixteenth place, which they share with Aix-Maurienne. Nantes lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth position with nine games lost. Olympique Antibes will face higher ranked JA Vichy (#8) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory.
Top scorers:
Nantes: T.Smith 20+3reb+3ast, L.Negrobar 14+5reb+1ast, R.Rougeau 11+2reb+1ast, J.Ajayi 6+2reb+1ast, G.Chathuant 6+5reb, A.Kader Sylla 4+6reb+2ast
Antibes: T.Yussuf 18+5reb+1ast, B.Wesley 17+3reb+3ast, E.Ca 10+2reb, A.Louissaint 9+2reb+1ast, P.Dambrauskas 8+2reb+7ast, G.Pitard 5+3reb+3ast

Paris - Evreux 92-79

Everything could happen at the game between two tied teams. Both sixth ranked Paris and 8th ranked ALM Evreux had identical 10-7 record. This time Paris used a home court advantage and beat the opponent from Evreux 92-79 on Friday night. Paris outrebounded ALM Evreux 40-20 including a 30-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. They shot the lights out from three sinking 13 long-distance shots on high 52.0 percentage. Paris looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. It was a great evening for Armenian-American point guard Ryan Boatright (183-92, college: UConn) who led his team to a victory scoring 15 points and 7 assists. Naturalized Mali forward Amara Sy (202-81, agency: BeoBasket) helped adding 17 points and 7 rebounds (perfect from the field making all six shots). Five Paris players scored in double figures. American guard Austin Tilghman (185, college: Monmouth) responded with 29 points and 6 steals and Spanish-Venezuelan swingman Jhornan Zamora (196-89) scored 27 points. Paris (11-7) moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Blois. Loser ALM Evreux dropped to the seventh position with eight games lost. Paris will face league's leader Saint-Quentin on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. ALM Evreux will play against Souffelweyersheim (#12) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Evreux: A.Tilghman 29+3reb+2ast, J.Zamora 27+3reb+3ast, A.Sidibe 6+7reb+3ast, D.Affo Mama 6+4reb, Q.Klingelschmitt 4+1reb, A.Anthony 3+1reb
Paris: A.Sy 17+7reb+1ast, R.Boatright 15+3reb+7ast, G.Denis 13+2reb+3ast, J.Begarin 12+5reb+4ast, D.Sleva 12+10reb+2ast, M.Barbitch 9+3reb+2ast

Rouen - Souffel 77-69

The game between closely ranked teams ended with eleventh ranked SPO Rouen's (9-9) home victory over 12th ranked Souffelweyersheim (8-11) 77-69 on Friday. It was a great evening for Nigerian guard Ike Iroegbu (188-95, college: WSU) who led his team to a victory scoring 20 points. American power forward Amin Stevens (203-90, college: FAMU) helped adding 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Four SPO Rouen players scored in double figures. American forward Dustin Thomas (203-95, college: Arkansas) responded with 12 points and 6 rebounds and Jason Bach (197-87) scored 13 points. Souffelweyersheim's coach let to play ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. SPO Rouen maintains eleventh place with 9-9 record. Loser Souffelweyersheim keeps the twelfth position with 11 games lost. SPO Rouen will face bottom-ranked Poitiers (#18) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Souffelweyersheim will play against ALM Evreux (#9) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Souffel: J.Bach 13+4reb+1ast, D.Thomas 12+6reb+1ast, K.Facey 11+4reb, S.Sautier 8+4reb+5ast, O.Sylla 7+2ast, T.Vergiat 6+5reb+6ast
Rouen: I.Iroegbu 20+2reb+3ast, P.Drouault 16+5reb+3ast, A.Stevens 14+6reb+5ast, B.Injai 11+5reb+3ast, E.Bassoumba 7+10reb+1ast, G.Marcus 6+2reb+1ast

Poitiers - Vichy Clermont 85-91

Not a big story in a game when 18th ranked Poitiers (3-13) was defeated at home by ninth ranked JA Vichy (10-8) 91-85 on Friday. JA Vichy made 22-of-26 free shots (84.6 percent) during the game. JA Vichy had a 29-17 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. It was a great evening for David Denave (193-85) who led his team to a victory scoring 16 points and 7 assists. The former international forward Jordan Aboudou (201-91) helped adding 20 points. American-British power forward Laurence Ekperigin (201-88, college: LeMoyne) responded with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists and point guard Mathis Keita (192-92, college: IUP) scored 13 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Five JA Vichy and four Poitiers players scored in double figures. Poitiers' coach Jerome Navier let to play eleven players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. JA Vichy moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Evreux and Denain. Poitiers lost seventh consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 13 games lost. JA Vichy will face Olympique Antibes (#17) at home in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Poitiers will play against SPO Rouen and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Poitiers: J.Abrams 20+5reb, L.Ekperigin 16+8reb+5ast, M.Keita 13+5reb+8ast, D.Lautier-Ogunleye 12+1reb+4ast, J.Seymour 9+1ast, A.M'Baye 5+1reb
Vichy Clermont: J.Aboudou 20+4reb+3ast, D.Denave 16+4reb+7ast, C.Bronchard 16+4reb, D.Utomi 14+10reb+1ast, J.Washington 12+3reb+8ast, M.Kone 11+8reb+1ast



Tags : ANTONIO BALLARD, AIX-MAURIENNE SAVOIE BASKET, FRENCH BASKETBALL