Friday at 8 PM, the Roca Boys will travel to Sarthe to face Le Mans on the 11th day of Jeep Elite play. The match is a rematch of the national title game that saw Le Mans come away with a victory. The Roca Team will have the opportunity to take revenge in this championship remake.
Monaco’s current context
Monaco is coming off a disappointing loss in the Jeep Elite (89-87 in overtime against Levallois) but will be boosted by their performance in the EuroCup (qualified for the Top 16). Despite a roster decimated by injury (Robinson, Jones, Ouattara, Sy and Cham unavailable) Monaco nearly pulled off the upset against the defending champions with only 8 players in the rotation.
Three days later in the EuroCup, although still hampered by absences, ASM thrilled the home crowd at Gaston Médecin with a fantastic performance in European play. Pitted against Ratiopharm Ulm, the Roca Team punched its ticket for the Top 16 of the EuroCup, winning 84-81. The hot-handed Ouattara, Lacombe, Kikanovic trio (all more than 20 points) lead coach Sasa Filipovski’s team to victory, taking the lead in the last moments of play.
In great form, Paul Lacombe stats have been consistent for the Roca Team. He has registered a +20 evaluation in each of his last 3 games (67 cumulative). He will be joined by his teammate, Yakuba Ouattara on the French national team during the upcoming international break.
Le Mans in need of a win
Le Mans is currently on a 5th in Jeep Elite. Eric Bartecheky’s men are coming off an 80-76 loss to Lyon-Villeurbanne, current leaders of the Jeep Elite league. Champions LeagueBasketball, Le Mans is 7th in its group and is on a 3-game losing streak. During their last confrontation, the Manceaux lost to Anwil Wloclawek 76-64 in Poland.
Le Mans has a quality squad with two standout players. The team’s leading scorer, Cameron Clark, is averaging 13.5 points per game and Michael Thompson, the team’s best passer, has 65 assists since the start of the season (5th most in the Jeep Elite. This match is shaping up to be a good one!
AS Monaco vs. Le Mans
December 7, 2018 – 8 PM