Quarterfinals
The quarterfinals started with two games on Thursday and two games on Friday. The teams that finished lower in the standings hosted the first games with the second and final game of each series being played on Monday or Tuesday. Lyon did not get any healthier during the break and lost another senior team player early in the game to guarantee that they would have at least one youth team player on the court at all times for the rest of the game so Alexia Chery’s best efforts were not enough in an 89-67 loss to Landes. The format proved to be a major advantage for Tarbes, which showed its youthful exuberance by rocketing out of the gates. The experience of Bourges did help them get back into game briefly in the second quarter, but the hosts pushed the margin back out multiple times to build an 87-69 lead. Fresh off being drafted, Carla Leite was the leading scorer while a name to learn for the next draft, Dominique Malonga, dominated the paint, and Marie-Paule Foppossi, the comparatively grizzled player in the starting lineup, also contributed.
Friday’s game started with the closest matchup in seeding, which meant that Charnay was a trendy pick for an upset. Shakayla Thomas had a good game for the hosts, but Ameryst Alston and Lattes Montpellier started well and pushed the lead out again in the second half to bring home a 77-62 advantage. Angers just managed to sneak into the last playoff spot, but that did not stop Jasmine Bailey from helping them threaten the top seed at various points of the game. Villeneuve-d’Ascq did not take them lightly, avoiding the switch to the lineup that they will have to field if they advance past this round. The visitors had the last good run, leaving with an 82-73 win.
April 18
https://basketlfb.com/match/777318-lyon-basket-landes
Lyon [67]: Chery 25/9r Heal 18/6r/6a Mitchell 15 Miyem 2
Landes [89]: Pardon 16/7a Peterson 13 Fuehring 12 Djaldi-Tabdi 11 Bussiere 11 Chery 10/7r Geiselsoder 5/6r Salvadores 2
https://basketlfb.com/match/777319-tarbes-bourges
Tarbes [87]: Leite 21/6a Malonga 20/18r Foppossi 20/6r
Bourges [69]: Duchet 13 Astier 12 Filip 11 Michel 10/6r Alexander 8/7r Steinberga 6 Colley 5 Spanou 4/11r Mann 0
April 19
https://basketlfb.com/match/777320-charnay-lattes-montpellier
Charnay [62]: Thomas 20/7r Vilka 17 Djaldi-Tabdi 13/8r Traylor 2 Abdi 0 Muzet 0
Lattes Montpellier [77]: Alston 20 Naigre 15 Jenkins 13/11r Bernies 13/6r Toure 12
https://basketlfb.com/match/777321-angers-villeneuve-d-ascq
Angers [73]: Bailey 22/10r Lacan 12 Wojta 9/7r
Villeneuve-d’Ascq [82]: Diaby 18/6r Salaun 17/7r Zellous 16/6r Smalls 10 Burke 9 Mununga 4
Playdowns
The double round-robin to determine which team would finish last and drop down a division started on Friday. While the lineup shenanigans of last season are not expected to be repeated, this phase will be affected by Roche and Landerneau carrying points deductions. Landerneau, which started in the bottom spot, wasted no time in pulling Sara Chevaugeon and Charleville-Mezieres back into the fray despite starting with a cushion, but a 73-66 win still left them at the bottom after the first day. Roche overturned their own disadvantage and pulled ahead of Saint-Amand with an 81-66 win.
https://basketlfb.com/match/777326-landerneau-charleville-mezieres
Landerneau [73]: Akhator 16/7r Barahman 16 Trasi 14/6r Woolfolk 9/6a
Charleville-Mezieres [66]: Chevaugeon 25 Walker 16 Morrison 3 Sissoko 2
https://basketlfb.com/match/777327-roche-vendee-saint-amand
Roche [81]: Clarke 19/11r Adams 15/12r Suarez 15/10a Ousfar 13/10r Gomis 13
Saint-Amand [66]: Williams 15/6r Grays 12 Slonjsak 12 Church 10 Lewis 8 Tahane 2/8r
Standings:
1. Charleville-Mezieres 4-3
2. Roche 4-3
3. Saint-Amand 3-4
4. Landerneau 3-4
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