Poitiers Basket 86 travels to Lorient this evening, on behalf of the round of 16 first leg of the play-offs. It will be without Marius Chambre but with a slight psychological influence over the Bretons.
Impatience. This is what the Poitevins have been feeling for ten days and the end of the second phase of the National 1 championship in Orchies. Spring and its knockout matches smell like drunkenness. “It was time to get there! », says Andy Thornton-Jones. Beyond a certain impatience, the PB coach feels at home “a lot of concentration”, mixed with ” determination “. It will take some tonight in Lorient, host of the 8e first leg of the play-offs and a solid armada (Djambo, Doumbia, Saounera…). The CEP remains on a very convincing second phase, eight victories in ten outings, and therefore arrives launched in its series against its pet peeve. Beye and co have never beaten Poitiers in four matches since last season.
“Yes but all the counters are resettempers the Poitevin technician. We erase everything and we start again, it’s another championship. » Especially since his team will come to the Michel-Gloaguen room without Marius Chambre, victim of a broken toe in Orchies. The big tile. Because even if “Armand (Mensah) took the titular spot” in the North, the PB finds itself with a single professional leader, Omoerah ensuring the relay at post 1. “For two years, we have been working with two leaders (Pontens, Chambre), there were settings, an alchemy. There, we lose them both in a month. A reorganization is necessary. But that’s part of the vagaries of a season,” admits Andy Thornton-Jones. Usual leader of the reserve, Martin Vergez-Pascal made the trip to Morbihan, knowing that Chambre could return in the weeks to come. “We are in the spirit of putting him back on the field as soon as possible. »
A victory in Brittany would put Poitiers on a launching pad for the return match on May 5. Because the formula of the N1 play-offs paradoxically puts the best ranked teams to the test. “There are sixteen teams on the starting line, there will only be one left in two months. It’s up to us to fully understand this event.”insists the coach. The club’s three presidents, Philippe Lachaume, Eric Pinaud and Sébastien Guérin gave this speech to Kevin Mendy and his partners on Tuesday, on the sidelines of training. A reminder of the objectives necessary at a time when the wildest dreams can turn into an unfathomable nightmare. Last year, Poitiers had left the play-offs on Friday May 13, against Caen, with a strange feeling of incompleteness.
8e first leg of the National 1 play-offs, CEP Lorient Breizh Basket vs Poitiers Basket 86, Friday April 28, 8 p.m. at the Michel-Gloaguen room. Arbitration of MM. Lohezic and Nehaume.
The other round of 16
Chartres vs Toulouse, Orchies vs Caen, Loon-Plage vs Tours, Le Havre vs Rueil, Rennes vs Boulogne, Poitiers vs Lorient, Mulhouse vs Andrézieux-Bouthéon.
Marcus Relphorde in the best 5 of N1
Still out of action due to a plantar fascia injury, Marcus Relphorde was named yesterday in the National 1 best of 5 alongside Sébastien Cape (Rennes), Valentin Bigote (Le Havre), Karim Gourari ( Rouen) and Joe Burton (Orchies). The title of MVP also goes to Burton, that of best coach to Sylvain Delorme (Rouen), who allowed the RMB to return to Pro B a year after his relegation.
DR Solotiana
#PB86 #heart #matter
