The Roca Team proved their mettle with an impressive 81-74 victory over Le Mans at Antarès, securing their sixth straight win in the Betclic Elite. Missing key players like Jordan Loyd, Élie Okobo, and resting Georgios Papagiannis, Monaco relied on grit, experience, and smart team play to outlast their determined opponents.
The game started evenly, with both teams trading blows, but Monaco’s defensive energy and sharp passing soon gave them the edge. Mike James orchestrated the offense brilliantly, feeding teammates like Donatas Motiejunas and Nick Calathes, while Matthew Strazel and Alpha Diallo delivered clutch plays on both ends.
Le Mans mounted a strong second-quarter comeback, led by Buchanan and Delaunay, briefly taking the lead before Monaco regained control. In the third quarter, Monaco turned up the intensity, with Diallo sinking critical three-pointers to extend their lead to double digits.
Intense Final Quarter
The final quarter saw a determined Le Mans push back, narrowing the gap multiple times. Yet, a composed Monaco responded with decisive plays, including a pivotal three-pointer from Mike James and key rebounds by Mam Jaiteh.
We enter the money-time. Terry Tarpey recovers a ball that is very precious in defense, and Mam Jaiteh uses his height advantage over Delaunay to score under the circle (79-74). The victory is assured, the ASM ends up winning by 7 points (81-74) and thus chains a sixth victory in a row in Betclic Elite.
So in the end, the Roca Team held firm, finishing with a seven-point margin.
Now, all eyes turn to Monaco’s showdown with Real Madrid next Friday in front of a sold-out home crowd.
