NM1 Round 19 (Regular Season): Lorient is defeated by Rennes

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The game between second ranked Lorient (12-7) and tenth ranked Union Rennes (9-9) was the most important one in the last round on Friday night. Lorient was defeated by Union Rennes in Lorient 92-79. Rennes dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Lorient's 28. Rennes forced 19 Lorient turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. It was a great evening for guard Eliot Thillier (193-2002) who led his team to a victory scoring 17 points and 4 assists. Forward Joffrey Sclear (200-1995) helped adding 17 points and 4 assists. Union Rennes' coach Bastien Demeure used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the losing side Guinean center Mohamed Queta (208-1995) responded with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Rennes moved-up to ninth place. Lorient at the other side dropped to the third position with seven games lost. They share it with Fougeres and Loon-Plage. Rennes are looking forward to face higher ranked Les Sables (#6) in Les Sables-D'Ollone in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Lorient will play on the road against Fougeres and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
NM1 top team - Metropolitans (15-4) managed to deliver another win. This time they beat thirteenth ranked Poissy (2-17) in Levallois 96-86. It was a quality performance for guard Jayson Tchicamboud (195-2002) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 assists. Charles Minlend Jr accounted for 14 points and 6 rebounds. Metropolitans' coach Sacha Giffa allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Naturalized Ivorian power forward Sydney Hawmmond (214-2000) came up with 9 points and 10 rebounds for Poissy in the defeat. Metropolitans have a solid series of three victories in a row. Levallois maintains first place with 15-4 record. Poissy lost eighth consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth position with 17 games lost. Levallois will play against Angers (#8) at home in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Poissy will play against Toulouse (#7) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
NM1 top team - STB Le Havre (16-3) had no problems winning another game on Friday. This time they crushed seventh ranked Berck (11-8) 85-59. Kevin Bercy fired 17 points and 7 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winners. STB Le Havre's coach Lauriane Dolt felt very confident that he used 10 players and allowed the starting five to rest. Grismay Paumier produced 18 points and 9 rebounds for lost side. STB Le Havre have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain first place with 16-3 record. Loser Berck dropped to the sixth position with eight games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Le Havre will meet Orchies (#4) on the road in the next round. Berck will play against Lyon and hope to secure a win.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 19: Pays Salonais lost to SCABB on the opponent's court 74-91. Pole France unfortunately lost to Fougeres in a home game 63-78. Toulouse managed to beat Val de Seine on the road 89-82. Angers was defeated by Tours on its own court 82-89. Les Sables was beaten by Chartres in a road game 68-62. Fos-sur-Mer destroyed Charleville at home 99-69. Orchies unfortunately lost to Metz on the opponent's court 78-80. Mulhouse rolled over Boulogne in a home game 99-80. Saint Vallier defeated Lyon on the road 76-67. Loon-Plage beat Besancon on its own court 86-82. Tarbes-Lourdes lost to Vitre in a road game 70-73. Metz was outscored by Mulhouse at home 65-94.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists by Valentin Mukuna of Mulhouse.



SCABB - Pays Salonais 91-74

Rather expected game when 12th ranked Pays Salonais (4-15) was defeated on the road by tenth ranked Andrezieux (7-12) 91-74 on Thursday. SCABB outrebounded Pays Salonais 37-23 including a 31-16 advantage in defensive rebounds. It was a great shooting night for SCABB especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 57.9 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Guard Kameronn Selebangue (190-2004) fired 14 points and 7 assists for the winners. Theo Bouteille (192-1997) chipped in 12 points and 5 assists. Four Andrezieux players scored in double figures. Guard Camille Jean (188-2002) produced 11 points and 5 assists and Jamaican center Warren Williams (206-1998, college: Hofstra) added 15 points respectively for lost side. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. SCABB maintains tenth place with 7-12 record, which they share with Chartres. Pays Salonais lost third consecutive game. They keep the twelfth position with 15 games lost. They share it with Charleville. SCABB will meet at home league's second-placed Mulhouse in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Pays Salonais will play against Saint Vallier (#8) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Pays Salonais: W.Warren 15+2reb+1ast, C.Jean 11+3reb+5ast, A.Fanchini 11+3reb+2ast, B.Marius 9+3reb+2ast, L.Louis 9, L.Thomas 7+2reb+3ast
SCABB: S.Kameronn 14+4reb+7ast, N.Andre 12+1reb+2ast, B.Theo 12+3reb+5ast, D.Clement 12+4reb+3ast, C.Nelson 12+4reb+1ast, D.Moustapha 10+2reb+1ast

Pole France - Fougeres 63-78

Very predictable result in Paris where fifth ranked Fougeres (12-7) defeated 14th ranked Pole France (1-18) 78-63 on Friday. Fougeres outrebounded Pole France 38-25 including a 32-17 advantage in defensive rebounds. Fougeres looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. Russian Eric Koumba (194-2002) fired a double-double by scoring 15 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists for the winners. point guard Kilian Incredule (175-1996) chipped in 16 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. Five Fougeres players scored in double figures. Forward Messi Yangala (203-2009) produced 16 points and Nathan Soliman (204-2009) added 14 points and 6 rebounds respectively for lost side. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Fougeres have a solid series of four victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Lorient and Loon-Plage. Pole France lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourteenth position with 18 games lost. Fougeres will meet at home Lorient (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Pole France will play against Tarbes-Lourdes (#5) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Pole France: M.Yangala 16+2reb+3ast, M.Mahop 15+3reb+3ast, N.Soliman 14+6reb+1ast, M.Yael 8+1reb+3ast, E.Achille-Junior 6+5reb+1ast, P.Antoine 2+2reb
Fougeres: K.Incredule 16+3reb+8ast, K.Eric 15+6reb+10ast, C.Soumaoro 14+7reb+1ast, D.Conde 11+4reb, K.Bichard 10+1reb+3ast, L.Poncet 6+4reb

Val de Seine - Toulouse 82-89

Not a big story in a game in Le Mee where 9th ranked Val de Seine (9-10) was defeated by seventh ranked Toulouse (11-8) 89-82 on Friday. Toulouse made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. American swingman Ali Ali (203-2001, college: Akron) fired 22 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Rene Louis-Therese (203-2004) chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds. Lithuanian guard Kevin Cham (185-1998) produced 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists and Madagascar point guard Kiady Razanamahenina (185-1996) added 16 points and 5 assists respectively for lost side. Five Toulouse and four Val de Seine players scored in double figures. Val de Seine's coach Axel Dao rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Toulouse moved-up to sixth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Loser Val de Seine keeps the ninth position with ten games lost. They share it with Lyon. Toulouse will meet at home Poissy (#13) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Val de Seine will play against Chartres (#12) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Val de Seine: K.Cham 19+7reb+6ast, R.Kiady 16+5ast, L.Gaylor 15+3reb, L.Roux Jules 11+6reb+2ast, E.Shonganya 8+5reb+1ast, I.Sidibe 6+2reb+1ast
Toulouse: A.Ali 22+6reb+3ast, O.Dennis 15+1reb+5ast, L.Rene 14+6reb+1ast, M.Hugo 13+3reb+2ast, P.Robin 11+2reb+6ast, D.Raphael 6+10reb

Angers - Tours 82-89

Everything went according to plan when third ranked Tours (13-6) beat on the road 8th ranked Etoile Angers (10-9) 89-82 on Friday. Tours dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Etoile Angers' 32. Tours forced 19 Angers turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. Senegalese Moustapha Diop (206-2003) fired a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Naturalized Guinean forward Ousmane Kaba (195-2002) chipped in 19 points and 7 rebounds. Tours' coach Moatassil Rhennam used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. Naturalized Ivorian swingman Junior Ouattara (191-2000) produced 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and forward Baptiste Oger (196-2000) added 13 points and 7 rebounds respectively for lost side. Four Angers players scored in double figures. Tours moved-up to second place, which they share with Orchies. Angers lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with nine games lost. They share it with Saint Vallier. Tours will meet at home Vitre (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Angers will play against the league's leader Levallois and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Angers: J.Ouattara 15+7reb+4ast, H.Dalil 14+2reb+5ast, D.Gnahore 14+2reb+3ast, O.Baptiste 13+7reb+3ast, J.Bowers 8+1reb+2ast, B.Tidiane 7+10reb+3ast
Tours: D.Moustapha 19+12reb+2ast, O.Kaba 19+7reb+3ast, B.Jonathan 18+3reb+4ast, L.Theo 8+2reb+2ast, F.Keziah 7+1reb+4ast, B.Jordan 7+1reb

Levallois - Poissy 96-86

NM1 top team - Metropolitans (15-4) managed to deliver another win. This time they beat thirteenth ranked Poissy (2-17) in Levallois 96-86. Levallois players were unselfish on offense dishing 26 assists. Poissy was plagued by 30 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a quality performance for guard Jayson Tchicamboud (195-2002) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 assists. American-Cameroonian guard Charles Minlend Jr (193-1997, college: Louisville) accounted for 14 points and 6 rebounds for the winning side. Metropolitans' coach Sacha Giffa allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Naturalized Ivorian power forward Sydney Hawmmond (214-2000) came up with 9 points and 10 rebounds and power forward Marc Kwedi (200-1997) added 11 points and 6 rebounds respectively for Poissy in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Metropolitans have a solid series of three victories in a row. Levallois maintains first place with 15-4 record. Poissy lost eighth consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth position with 17 games lost. Levallois will play against Angers (#8) at home in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Poissy will play against Toulouse (#7) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Poissy: D.Olayinka 15+1reb, D.Brahim 12+2reb+2ast, R.Dibo 12+4reb+1ast, K.Marc 11+6reb+1ast, S.Hawmmond 9+10reb, N.Calabre 9+5ast
Levallois: T.Jayson 19+3reb+12ast, S.Stansbury 15+2reb+1ast, M.Charles 14+6reb+3ast, A.Craig 11+5reb, M.Kane 9+3reb+2ast, B.Soriah 8+3reb+2ast

Chartres - Les Sables 68-62

There was an upset when higher ranked Les Sables (11-8) was defeated on the road by twelfth ranked C'Chartres (7-12) 68-62 on Friday. Forward Gedeon Dimoke (197-2001) fired a double-double by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. point guard Yann Siegwarth (185-1993) chipped in 15 points and 5 assists. Power forward Ludovic Martel (208-2000) produced 11 points and 8 rebounds and Canadian point guard Josh Bascoe (183-2002, college: Bucknell) added 10 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Chartres moved-up to tenth place, which they share with SCABB. Loser Les Sables keeps the sixth position with eight games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Chartres will meet at home Val de Seine (#10) in the next round. Les Sables will play against Rennes (#9) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Les Sables: T.Klein 11+2reb+3ast, L.Martel 11+8reb+1ast, B.Josh 10+5reb+3ast, L.Prolhac 9+1reb+1ast, L.Noudogbessi 8+7reb+1ast, S.Mouhri 5+6reb+1ast
Chartres: S.Yann 15+4reb+5ast, D.Gedeon 14+10reb+1ast, L.Gendrey 10+4reb+1ast, N.Babacar 9+2reb, K.Mondesir 7+10reb, S.Sebabe 6+3reb+1ast

Fos-sur-Mer - Charleville 99-69

No shocking result in a game in Fos-sur-Mer where third ranked Provence Basket (14-5) outleveled 11th ranked Charleville-Mezieres (4-15) 99-69 on Friday. Fos-sur-Mer outrebounded Charleville 38-24 including 23 on the defensive glass. Fos-sur-Mer looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. Forward Loic Menuge (197-1999) fired 17 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Bahamas point guard Dominick Bridgewater (178-2000) chipped in 21 points and 5 assists. Provence Basket's coach Emmanuel Schmitt felt very confident that he used 10 players and allowed the starting five to rest. Forward Theo Pichard (197-2005) produced 11 points and 5 assists and Lucas Depaix (179-2001) added 10 points and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Five Fos-sur-Mer and four Charleville players scored in double figures. Provence Basket have a solid series of three victories in a row. Fos-sur-Mer maintains third place with 14-5 record behind leader Le Havre. Charleville lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the twelfth position with 15 games lost. They share it with Pays Salonais. Fos-sur-Mer will meet Besancon (#14) on the road in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Charleville will play against Metz and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Charleville: P.Theo 11+4reb+5ast, L.Depaix 10+3reb+4ast, M.Da Silva 10+2reb+1ast, M.Tonji 10+3reb, C.Martin 9+1reb+2ast, N.Maydden 7+4reb+3ast
Fos-sur-Mer: B.Dominick 21+2reb+5ast, M.Loic 17+8reb+3ast, D.Sadio 14+2reb, D.Tom 13+2reb+2ast, B.Jaraun 12+5reb+1ast, B.Mounir 12+10reb+1ast

Metz - Orchies 80-78

There was an upset when 4th placed Orchesien BC (13-6) was edged on the road by twelfth ranked Metz (5-15) 80-78 on Friday. Metz made 16-of-18 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. Senegalese center Momath Seck (206-1995) fired a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Florian Fortas (191-2000) chipped in 22 points. Metz's coach Alexandre Palfroy used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Cape Verdean power forward Sekouba Conde (201-1989) produced a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) and Belgian Igor Mintogo (193-1999) added 24 points respectively for lost side. Metz moved-up to eleventh place. Loser Orchesien BC dropped to the second position with six games lost. They share it with Tours. Metz will meet Charleville (#12) on the road in the next round. Orchies will play against the league's leader Le Havre (#1) having rather not much hope for a victory.
Top scorers:
Orchies: I.Mintogo 24+3reb+2ast, C.Sekouba 20+10reb+2ast, K.Yanis 12+3reb+9ast, S.Abdoulaye 6+4reb+7ast, T.Hanquiez 6+8reb, G.Gessat 6+7reb
Metz: F.Florian 22+1reb+3ast, M.Seck 14+11reb+1ast, A.Robert-Suarez 12+1reb, M.Beaubois 9+5reb+2ast, I.Daniel 8+2reb, G.Lessort 6+4reb

Mulhouse - Boulogne 99-80

Rather predictable result when second ranked Mulhouse (15-5) smashed at home 5th ranked SO Maritime Boulogne (11-8) 99-80 on Friday. Mulhouse looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. American guard Trevon Faulkner (193-2000, college: NKU) fired 25 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. point guard Marius Chambre (182-1998) chipped in 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Five Mulhouse players scored in double figures. American forward Jaylen Sebree (201-1997, college: Tenn Tech) produced 19 points and 6 rebounds (on 9-of-10 shooting from the field) and forward Ismael Cadiau (198-1998) added 8 points and 9 rebounds respectively for lost side. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Mulhouse have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain second place with 15-5 record having just one point less than leader Le Havre. Loser SO Maritime Boulogne dropped to the sixth position with eight games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Mulhouse will meet SCABB (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Boulogne will play against Loon-Plage (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Boulogne: J.Sebree 19+6reb+3ast, J.Hyacinthe 15, A.Sobel 10+3reb, I.Cadiau 8+9reb+2ast, M.Moussa 7+6reb, J.Eyoum 7+1ast
Mulhouse: F.Trevon 25+5reb+1ast, C.Marius 15+5reb+6ast, D.Golle 12+9reb, V.Mukuna 10+5reb+1ast, I.Vladimir 10+2reb+5ast, G.William 8+3reb

Lyon - Saint Vallier 67-76

Everything could happen at the game between two tied teams. Both eighth ranked Saint Vallier and 9th ranked Lyon had identical 9-9 record. But Lyon was not able to use a home court advantage and was defeated by the opponent from Saint Vallier 76-67 on Friday night. Saint Vallier looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American-Ivorian power forward Amadou Sidibe (203-1994, college: Fairfield, agency: Players Group) fired 14 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Guard Sasha Derradji (195-2006) chipped in 12 points, 7 assists and 5 steals. American forward Kahlon Whitley (178-1998, college: GSW) produced 19 points and guard Noah Manet (194-2004) added 12 points and 6 rebounds respectively for lost side. Four Lyon players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Saint Vallier maintains eighth place with 10-9 record, which they share with Angers. Loser Lyon keeps the ninth position with ten games lost. They share it with Val de Seine. Saint Vallier will meet Pays Salonais (#13) in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Lyon will play against Berck (#7) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Lyon: W.Kahlon 19+4reb+2ast, Z.Junior 13+6reb+2ast, N.Manet 12+6reb+3ast, C.Kevin 11+2reb+5ast, S.Maxime 5+2reb, M.Frederic 3+6reb
Saint Vallier: S.Amadou 14+8reb+4ast, O.Yao-Delon 13+2reb, D.Sasha 12+2reb+7ast, J.Justinas 8+2reb, T.Adrien 8+1reb, N.Daryl 7+3reb

Le Havre - Berck 85-59

NM1 top team - STB Le Havre (16-3) had no problems winning another game on Friday. This time they crushed seventh ranked Berck (11-8) 85-59. Le Havre looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Haitian-Canadian forward Kevin Bercy (203-1994, college: St.Francis X.) fired 17 points and 7 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winners. American-Nigerian guard Ajare Sanni (190-2000, college: UCSB) chipped in 17 points and 4 assists. Four STB Le Havre players scored in double figures. STB Le Havre's coach Lauriane Dolt felt very confident that he used 10 players and allowed the starting five to rest. Cuban power forward Grismay Paumier (204-1988) produced 18 points and 9 rebounds and power forward Alexis Thomas (208-1995) added 12 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side. STB Le Havre have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain first place with 16-3 record. Loser Berck dropped to the sixth position with eight games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Le Havre will meet Orchies (#4) on the road in the next round. Berck will play against Lyon and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Berck: G.Paumier 18+9reb+1ast, A.Thomas 12+5reb+3ast, H.Adrien 8+3reb+3ast, J.Durand 6+1reb+3ast, M.Bordes 6+3reb+1ast, M.Benjamin 4+4reb+1ast
Le Havre: B.Kevin 17+7reb+1ast, S.Ajare 17+3reb+4ast, C.Steven 13+4reb+2ast, D.Thibault 13+1reb+3ast, B.Earvine 6+5reb+2ast, B.Cedric 6+6reb+3ast

Loon-Plage - Besancon 86-82

Everything went according to plan when sixth ranked Loon-Plage (12-7) beat at home 14th ranked Besancon (3-16) 86-82 on Friday. However just four-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. Loon-Plage looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Center Mouhamed Thiam (213-2001) fired 16 points for the winners (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). American guard Vincent Sanford (193-1990, college: Dayton, agency: SLN) chipped in 13 points and 4 assists. Loon-Plage's coach Quentin Wadoux used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Forward Calvin Jubenot (198-1986) produced 24 points and 5 rebounds and Lithuanian Augustinas Venckus (190-1997) added 18 points and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Four Besancon players scored in double figures. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Loon-Plage. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Fougeres and Lorient. Besancon lost their third game in a row. They keep the fourteenth position with 16 games lost. Loon-Plage will meet Boulogne (#6) in the next round. Besancon will play against Fos-sur-Mer (#3) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Besancon: J.Calvin 24+5reb+2ast, A.Venckus 18+2reb+4ast, D.Hook 14+6reb+3ast, N.Yannick 10+3reb+1ast, H.Cluysen 9+2reb+4ast, C.Auguste 4+2reb
Loon-Plage: M.Thiam 16+3reb+1ast, S.NDir 13+2ast, S.Vincent 13+3reb+4ast, E.Samuel 10+4reb+1ast, C.Peinte 9+3reb, V.Fauche 8+3reb+5ast

Vitre - Tarbes-Lourdes 73-70

There was an upset when 4th placed Lourdes-Tarbes (11-7) was edged on the road by eleventh ranked Vitre (8-9) 73-70 on Friday. Vitre looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. American guard Leo DeBruhl (190, college: UC Davis) fired a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 assists for the winners. Nigerian-American power forward Fidelis Okereke (198-2002, college: CSUB) chipped in a double-double by scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Alexis Yetna (203-1997, college: Fairfield) produced 26 points and 9 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) and point guard Tom Wiscart Goetz (188-1999) added 5 points and 7 assists respectively for lost side. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Vitre maintains eleventh place with 8-9 record. Loser Lourdes-Tarbes dropped to the fifth position with seven games lost. Vitre will meet league's second-placed Tours on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Tarbes-Lourdes will play against Pole France and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Tarbes-Lourdes: Y.Alexis 26+9reb+2ast, M.Francois 9+3reb+1ast, P.Hourne Raubet 7+3reb+3ast, A.Doumbia 7+1reb+5ast, M.Flosse 7+8reb, F.Ateba 7+2reb
Vitre: O.Fidelis 15+10reb, V.Alexis 14+3reb, D.Leo 14+2reb+11ast, H.Sullivan 9+2reb+2ast, C.Le 8+2reb+3ast, H.Marin-Birkener 6+1reb

Lorient - Rennes 79-92

The game between second ranked Lorient (12-7) and tenth ranked Union Rennes (9-9) was the most important one in the last round on Friday night. Lorient was defeated by Union Rennes in Lorient 92-79. Rennes dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Lorient's 28. Rennes forced 19 Lorient turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. It was a great evening for guard Eliot Thillier (193-2002) who led his team to a victory scoring 17 points and 4 assists. Forward Joffrey Sclear (200-1995) helped adding 17 points and 4 assists. Four Union Rennes players scored in double figures. Union Rennes' coach Bastien Demeure used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the losing side Guinean center Mohamed Queta (208-1995) responded with 22 points and 7 rebounds and naturalized Moroccan guard Kevin Franceschi (193-1993, college: OKBU) scored 22 points. Rennes moved-up to ninth place. Lorient at the other side dropped to the third position with seven games lost. They share it with Fougeres and Loon-Plage. Rennes are looking forward to face higher ranked Les Sables (#6) in Les Sables-D'Ollone in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Lorient will play on the road against Fougeres and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Lorient: M.Queta 22+7reb+2ast, K.Franceschi 22+3reb+3ast, A.Robertson 12+4reb, M.Robin 7+3reb+4ast, C.Maxime 6+2reb+8ast, S.Adrien 4+6reb+1ast
Rennes: T.Eliot 17+4reb+4ast, J.Sclear 17+3reb+4ast, H.Kamdem 13+6reb+2ast, R.Warren 11+1reb+6ast, G.Pointel 11, N.Channick 11+6reb

Metz - Mulhouse 65-94

No shocking result in a game when second ranked Mulhouse (15-5) outleveled on the road 12th ranked Metz (5-15) 94-65 on Tuesday. Mulhouse dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Metz's 32. Mulhouse forced 22 Metz turnovers and outrebounded them 32-20 including 20 on the defensive glass. Mulhouse looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. American guard Trevon Faulkner (193-2000, college: NKU) fired 16 points for the winners. Golle Dembele (202) chipped in 19 points (perfect from the field making all nine shots !!!). Guard Melvin Beaubois (193-2001) produced 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and American guard Collin Turner (185-1995, college: Angelo St.) added 11 points and 4 assists respectively for lost side. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Mulhouse. They maintain second place with 15-5 record having just one point less than leader Le Havre. Metz lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the eleventh position with 15 games lost. Mulhouse will meet SCABB (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Metz will play against Charleville and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Metz: B.Melvin 14+5reb+5ast, B.Alioune 13+1reb, C.Turner 11+2reb+4ast, L.Gregory 9+3reb+1ast, R.Alan 8+4reb, S.Momath 4+3reb+1ast
Mulhouse: D.Golle 19+2reb+1ast, F.Trevon 16+3reb+3ast, I.Vladimir 10+3reb+2ast, G.William 10+2reb+2ast, V.Mukuna 9+7reb+4ast, C.Marius 9+1reb+8ast