The Mets 92 win with forceps against Élan Béarnais in Betclic Elite
The game: 76-78
The Mets 92 scared themselves. They have long thought they would be surprised by Élan Béarnais on Tuesday evening on the Pau floor, but took advantage of the mistakes of the locals in the money-time to win their 16th success of the season.
After a tight first quarter (23-25), the first gap on the scoreboard came with an 8-0 from the Béarnais in the 2nd quarter, allowing them to pass in front (27-29 to 35- 29, 5 minutes from the break).
The Giovan Oniange – Vitalis Chikoko connection, on fire in the first period, even allowed the Béarnais to take off at +8 two minutes from the break. The Zimbabwean scored 20 points (7/8 shooting) in the first half, allowing his side to be in the lead at the break (50-46). Upon returning from the locker room, the two teams continued their mano-a-mano, Élan Béarnais maintaining a 5-point lead for much of the 3rd quarter, before seeing their opponents recover to 61-61.
The pace which had clearly come down in the previous period, started up again in the 4th quarter when the Béarnais regained the lead (+8, 69-61, 34th). But nothing was final yet and the end of the game remained tense, with an 11-0 Mets 92 which allowed them to pick up the score. Finally, while all Pau supporters were hoping to snatch an extension, Éric Bartecheky’s players missed their last possession, 20 seconds from time. A messed up ball, several missed shots and the Mets 92 secured their victory.
With this result, Pau, 13th before the meeting, plunges to 16th place (8 wins, 14 losses), while Boulogne-Levallois (16-6) remains runner-up to Monaco, which is still in the lead (18-4).
The gesture: Wemby’s lucky basket
Even in a long complicated game, for him and his team, Victor Wembanyama managed to score one of the baskets of the evening. From behind the arc, the Mets 92 pivot had plenty of time to attempt a 3-point shot, which would bounce off the arc then off the board and eventually home.
