Lattes-Montpellier is almost there. Winners with authority Wednesday in Riga (80-45), the vice-champions of France have almost validated the fourth and last qualifying place in group A for the quarter-finals of the Euroleague. Olivia Epoupa (15 points, 3 assists, 3 steals) and her teammates have indeed a victory in advance and the advantage in the event of a tie against the Latvians (victory 63-54 in the first leg), their competitors for this ticket, three days from the end.
A single success to finish will ensure the place of the girls of Valéry Demory who succeeded in a single rider in Riga quickly taking off (30-14 after ten minutes, 50-22 at halftime) without ever slowing down, overtaking the thirty-point gap in the fourth quarter. The Latvians gave up thirty balls on the way under the defensive pressure of Hérault.
This great success on the move comes after four defeats in a row, including three in the National League, in Tarbes, Bourges and Charleville. BLMA’s American Haley Peters had already scored nineteen points at the break. She finished with 26 units (9 of 14, 3 of 3 at 6.75m) and 8 rebounds.
Recently arrived as a reinforcement, the international Romane Bernies made a successful debut in her register, without taking a single shot but delivering ten assists in 23 minutes.
The awakening of Basket Landes
Without illusions for a place in the quarter-finals, Basket Landes has however revived in order to snatch sixth place in group B which ensures to be transferred to the quarter-finals of the Eurocup. Dominating in rebounds (45 to 27), the champions of France distanced Gdynia in the third quarter before winning without fear in Poland (87-74) putting an end to five defeats in a row since November 5, 2021 Marine Fauthoux (22 points on 10 of 15 on shots, 5 assists) was her team’s offensive leader.
The task remains nevertheless complicated since the Landaises are still a victory behind Galatasaray, current sixth in the group, who had clearly beaten them in Turkey in the first leg (64-83). The return match is scheduled for January 30 at Mont-de-Marsan and will probably be decisive with nineteen points to go.
