The Kervaric sports hall, home of CEP Lorient, where the CCBM will play this evening, will bring back some good memories to some Chartrains such as pivot Patrick Clerence, winger Christopher Békoulé-Ekambi, the staff with coach Sébastien Lambert, his deputy Guillaume The Pope or the manager Milan Vasic. These five are among the survivors of the glorious epic, which saw, on June 12, 2018, Chartres win in Lorient (86-91), in the final of the play-offs. A success synonymous with a rise in ProB.
A week treating bobology
Almost four years later, the two teams are no longer in the same configuration, even if the hopes of accession have not yet flown away since there will be a third phase, the play-offs, to try to obtain the second ticket for the LNB. For Lorientais and Chartrains, we are still far from it. For the time being, the goal in this second phase is to place yourself as best as possible, if possible in the top 5 to have home advantage, at least in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, knowing that first place of the upper hen seems promised to Étoile Angers Basket. Precisely, the Angevins could validate their rise this evening in the event of a victory at home against Lyon combined with a setback from Poitiers, on its floor, against Mulhouse.
The first leg against Lorient
Lorient and Chartres can no longer worry the EAB for a long time. But there are still a few issues. For Lorient, to finish this high hen in the top five. For Chartres, which has a late match *, to try to return to the top five, but above all to avoid 10th place to have to move to the 9th from the round of 16. An analysis confirmed by coach Sébastien Lambert. “The goal is the Lorient match. The top 5, objectively, it will be difficult to be there. We must not look further than the tip of our nose. To see a little further than this Lorient match is to at least retain home advantage in the round of 16. We are going to Lorient to have a shot. It’s possible if you’re in the same state of mind as in Angers…”
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Chartres was 64% successful in Angers…
A week ago, in Anjou, without Ucles (aponeurosis), Clerence (ischios) or Siegwarth (funeral) and with diminished players – Bouloukouet (thigh elongation), Sencanski (wrist), Bernaoui (sick) and Mekdad (calf contracture ) – the CCBM had shaken the walls of the Jean-Bouin room. The undisputed leader of the N1 had to rely on his American Akaemji Williams to overcome the brave Chartrains (101-89). “We didn’t have much to lose in this game. We played liberated. What we lacked, over the last five minutes, was a bit of lucidity and a lack of internal rotation, I would say once again in the important moments, ”sums up Sébastien Lambert.
If the CCBM will still be deprived of the Spanish strong winger Ucles and the pivot and captain Clerence, it will recover its leader Siegwarth and all the players impaired from the Angers match who have been able to recover their health over this last week.
In the first leg against Lorient (73-86), March 15, Chartres had completely missed his first period (29-44). More “liberated”, according to his coach, the CCBM will try to cast doubt on a Breton formation which has been struggling offensively for two matches (63-67 defeats at home against Caen and 88-66 in Le Havre). Although diminished in Angers, the Chartrains had paradoxically regained their appetite, turning to 64% success and 58 points scored (a first this season!) at half-time, before finishing at 54% (against 49% at Angers!).
* The home match against Poitiers, postponed last Thursday for cases of covid in the Poitevin workforce, has been set for Monday April 18 at 8 p.m. This will be the last game of the upper hen, before attacking the play-offs (April 24).
Lorient (Morbihan), this evening at 8 p.m.
CEP Lorient: A. Doumbia, Saounera, Sy, Djambo (Mal), Jean-François, Coulibaly, Adala-Moto (Cam), Cape, B. Mondésir, Hanck.
C’Chartres BM : Siegwarth, Thalien, Mekdad, U. Doumbia, Bouloukouet, Békoulé-Ekambi, Sencanski (Ser), Bernaoui, Mukuna.
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Jean-Andre Provost
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