Well off to a good start and in front at half-time, the Tarbaises did not manage to maintain their rhythm in a second period where skill was lacking against a strong defense from Lattes-Montpellier who won a tough fight on Saturday evening (61-71) the Occitanie derby.
Tarbes GB 61 – Lattes Montpellier 71
QT : 23-21, 14-15, 6-17, 18-18
Referee: 2000 Bardera and Burnel.
Tarbes Buckle Bigorre : 22 successful shots out of 61 (including 11/30 at three points); 6/10 free throws; 32 rebounds; 22 assists; 17 lost balls; 9 interceptions; 4 blocks; 14 personal fouls.
The points: Droguet (cap.) 8, Musa 9, Zodia 6, Sivka 0, Fora 14; (then) Strunc 14, Monasse –, Poulain –, Ewodo 3, Barahaman 0, Miyem 7.
Coach : François Gomez. Assistant : Eddy Goncalves.
Lattes-Montpellier : 27 successful shots out of 61 (7/20 from three points); 10/11 free throws; 41 rebounds; 21 assists; 18 lost bullets; 5 interceptions; 4 blocks, 14 personal fouls.
The points: Bailey 9, Naigre 7, Rabot 11, Fankam Mendjiadeu 23, Bernies (cap.) 14 ; (then) Suarez Utrero 7, Limousin 0, Brun –, Angloma 0, Mlapie 0.
Coach : Valery Demory. Assistant : A. Mbombo Njoya.
Between two teams neck and neck in the Women’s League standings with 3 defeats and 3 victories each, and both of whom remain on a roll in the Eurocup, this duel looked indecisive, even if the advantage of dynamics could be given to the TGB with its 2 successes in a row (Landerneau and Lyon) in the championship against 3 defeats for the Montpellier team.
Intense start
Above all, the Tarbaises could claim the support of their public on the Quai de l’Adour, who responded with a great atmosphere provided by the student representatives of the Staps de France during the weekend in Tarbes. The latter exploded on the first baskets of captain Droguet, following that of Rabot (7-8).
The duel started at a great pace with a lot of intensity and, if Musa, first countered by Fankam, rectified the situation (11-16), Fora allowed the Tarbaises to stay in contact (14-16) with the Gazelles.
The numerous rotations of the BLMA did not prevent the TGB from returning to equality on 2 free throws from Zodia (16-16, 8th).
Tarbes iron defense
Suarez powered to 3 points, but Strunc imitated him in the exercise at 2/2 to put Tarbes in front, while Miyem, for his return to the championship, obtained 2 free throws (20-19) before preserving the score at defensive rebound (23-21, 10th).
The TGB showed itself effective from the start of the 2nd quarter with Miyem then Droguet, from afar, who offered a cushion (+7) to the Violettes, while a fierce defense constrained the Héraultaises. Strunc, successful on his shots (4/4), put the TGB back to safety (34-27), while Ewodo took over with a basket with the mistake (37-27, 15th).
The BLMA returns to a silent TGB
Blocked on his outside shots, the BLMA responded with Bernies then Rabot in the racket, before Musa took charge of stopping the improvement on the counter on Bernies.
But, too much at fault (9), the Tarbaises offered Fankam a basket with a free throw to bring theirs to 1 point at the break (37-36).
Launched by Fankam, Montpellier hardened its defense, which Miyem, launched by Fora, managed to make give in (38-38). Combative, like the Swiss leader, the Tarbaises however did not score, like Sivka at 0/3 at 3 points and still without unity; unlike Bernies, who put the BLMA at + 8 (38-44).
Present on the rebounds, Valéry Demory’s players asphyxiated the Tarbaises, and Bailey widened the gap with another long shot (38-51, 27th).
Fankam flies over the duel
Musa showed his power on a 2 + 1 (43-51), and the counter from the young Ewodo woke up the locals, still confronted with their lack of success in the 3rd quarter, left 6 to 17.
Impeccable defensively, Droguet and her teammates were unable to hit the goal, unlike the Hérault pivot (43-55, 33rd).
Finally, Fora scored twice in the 3-point pot after 7 long minutes, imitated by Zodia (51-59, 36th).
But a missed easy lay-up left the BLMA in the tempo, while Fankam, the Hérault leader with a double-double (23 points, 12 rebounds), worked under the circle for a basket full of anger (51-62).
Confidence was in the arms of the Gazelles and, despite a successful shot by Miyem from afar, then Fora (59-69), the Tarbaises no longer found their grinta of the last three confrontations to lower their flag, not without having fought in a last quarter -best time (18-18).
Iron defensively, fiery offensively, the TGB lacked precision, until the last 3-point attempt from Sivka, who would have liked a better birthday present for her 19th birthday.
François Gomez: “We don’t put a basket!”
François Gomez (TGB coach): “There was room to pass. We had the respect of our opponent because I saw how happy they were to have won here. They had a full match in terms of hardness but we were warned. We were dominated by an inside player (Fankam, Editor’s note) and it’s been a long time since that happened to us. She really massacred us because she had too many rebounds and scored too many points. We haven’t been able to resolve this problem and offensively, we don’t have an address. We lose fewer balls than them, we make more assists but we don’t score a basket. And then at some point, you have to put it in, whether it’s near or far. What we achieved in the first half because we must not forget that we led by 10 points. Then, we had a slow time which allowed them to come back to 1 point. We were not secure at that time. And in the 3rd quarter, we scored 6 points… We took the shots but we didn’t score a basket. In the physical combat we also suffered a lot”
Nancy Fora (TGB leader): “We lacked skill and missed out on this match. It’s annoying because it was doable at home with an incredible audience. But Montpellier did the job and was successful. We lost too many balls and perhaps suffered harshly. We tried to hang on but the BLMA did damage inside with a very good player (Fankam, Editor’s note). A lot of disappointment because it was doable. »
Jess-Mine Zodia (pivot du TGB): “We missed a lot of easy baskets and we missed our game. Defensively, their interior hurt us and then it came down to other small details.”
Romane Bernies (BLMA captain): “We expected a difficult match as always here. It’s hard to come from playing in this room, we know that the Tarbes team never gives up. As I told the girls, for us it was a final and we approached it as such. I’m super proud of the group tonight, we showed great values. Tarbes stood up to us well in the first half, but we came back from the locker room determined and it paid off, especially defensively. It’s nice, it bodes well…”
Comments collected by OF and J.-P. L.
