Villeneuve d’Ascq won Match 1 of the LFB final against ASVEL on Wednesday at home, and will try to win the title of French champion on Saturday at the Astroballe.
Six years after winning his first (and only for the moment) title of champion of France, Villeneuve d’Ascq is only one victory away from achieving the double! The ESBVA indeed leads 1-0 in its final against ASVEL, which is played in two winning matches, after its 67-59 success in a Palacium in fusion.
The Rhone players, who had nevertheless beaten the Northerners five times this season (championship, Coupe de France, Eurocoupe), have long believed that they would pocket this precious first victory before going to play the return, even the beautiful one, at home. But they completely collapsed in the last quarter.
Address holes on each side
It was indeed the daughters of David Gautier, who fell from the defending champions Bourges in the semi-finals, who had the best start. Villeneuve d’Ascq held on until 11-11, before losing the first quarter 15-20. ASVEL also led throughout the second, even taking a ten-point lead (24-34) and returning to the locker room with a small mattress of seven points (32-39). But the Northerners woke up to the resumption and took the lead for the first time in the match (40-39).
However, the Lyonnaises responded with an incredible 13-0 and they probably thought they were safe from a return from ESBVA. But then it was they who experienced a black hole, first conceding a 10-0 at the end of the third quarter (50-53, 30th) then a 5-0 at the start of the last which allowed Villeneuve d’Ascq to tie at 55-55. Stunned and in loss of address, the winners of the Eurocup did not manage to find a second wind and finally lost the quarter 17-6!
VILLENEUVE D’ASCQ TAKES MATCH 1!! 💥
Les Guerrières won at the Palacium in an unbreathable end to the match and took the lead in these #FinalsLFB 🔥
See you Saturday at 2:45 p.m. at the Astroballe for match 2!@basketlfb @ESBVALM #PlayoffsLFB #SEFbasket pic.twitter.com/3DThB9Mfg9
– Sport in France (@sport_en_france) May 17, 2023
Diaby wears ESBVA
It is therefore 1-0 for Villeneuve d’Ascq, who was able to count on a Kariata Diaby with 15 points and 4 rebounds while regular season MVP Kennedy Burke settled for 9 points, 4 of 12 on shots . Opposite, Marine Johannes finishes with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists and Sandrine Gruda with 13 points and 6 rebounds. Saturday at the Astroballe, ASVEL will not be entitled to defeat. But the daughters of President Tony Parker have already experienced this against Bourges in the previous round.
