On Saturday, June 4th, the second game of the series between AS Monaco and Elan Béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez took place in the Salle Gaston Médecin. After a first victory two days earlier, AS Monaco aimed for another win at home before heading to play next Tuesday at the Palais des Sports in Pau.
Mission accomplished for the team from the Rock, securing a new victory with a score of 79 to 72. AS Monaco, therefore, did not falter at home against the Béarn team, which didn’t give up until the end, managing to win the fourth quarter (16-25) despite a challenging start (Q1: 22-20 / Q2: 24-15 / Q3: 17-12).
The team from the Principality was able to rely on two of its forwards: Dwayne Bacon (20 points – 5 rebounds – MVP of the match) and Alpha Diallo (13 points – 8 rebounds), as well as the American point guard Mike James (13 points – 5 assists) and the French shooting guard Yakuba Ouattara (10 points) to secure this victory.
On the Béarn side, it was the American point guard Justin Bibbins (19 points – 6 rebounds – 7 assists) who led his team, accompanied by the Slovenian shooting guard Gregor Hrovat (19 points) and the French forward Giovan Oniangue (12 points). Nevertheless, it was not enough to bring down the Monegasque giant on its home court in the Salle Gaston Médecin.
AS Monaco takes a commanding lead in this Betclic Elite semi-final series (2-0). The next game will be held on June 7th at the Palais des Sports in Pau. If Monaco wins again, the Principality’s team would qualify for the Betclic Elite finals against the winner of the Lyon-Villeurbanne/Dijon series. Conversely, if the Pau-Lacq-Orthez team wins at home, another match will have to be played.
