Challans aims for victory against neighbors Charente-Maritime Before the arithmetic relegation is confirmed, Challans would like to make a big move, and hosting their Charente-Maritime neighbors is appealing. SRB coach Germain Castano says: “It has all the signs of a trap game, especially after their match against Blois (95-91) which they could have won. They scored over 90 points against a team known for its defense, so we need to be careful. They are playing without pressure. The guys want to give their fans a third victory. It’s dangerous if you don’t defend well, you could have a bad evening.”
“If we underestimate them, it’s a flip of a coin” As a player, the identity of the upcoming opponent doesn’t matter much. Yannis Allard says: “We prepare for each match with the same conviction. In Elite 2, anyone can beat anyone if the presumed favorite team doesn’t bring their A-game.”
The coaching staff has noticed that the opponent can occasionally have strong offensive performances, scoring 90 points or more against Blois, Chalons-Reims, or Hyeres-Toulon. Castano warns: “We must not get into an offensive game with them, especially since they have a center (Luka Nikolic) who can shoot 3-pointers, going 4/4 against Blois. One of the goals is undoubtedly to concede less than 20 points per quarter.”
And he continues to speak about a scenario to avoid – “They will try to make it a one-on-one game. If we fall for that, it’s like flipping a coin; it would mean the match is all about high offensive standards, perhaps between 90 and 95 points. Then, you have less control and are at the mercy of a ball bouncing twice before missing, while they make a shot off the backboard. If the opponent is accurate and in high spirits, we will be thinking about our end-of-season goal during the match.”
Quimper, the previous winner Controlling the aspects that the staff can influence is the key. They are focusing on defense, which has been strong since the break. The coach emphasizes, “The key elements will be toughness, intensity, discipline, and defense, defense, defense.”
On March 17th, La Rochelle faced Quimper (81-85) with a similar challenge, the need to win against a struggling team. They led by 19 points at one point but had a scare towards the end. “We were very serious for 36 minutes, having a lead of 19 points at one moment. We had a scare at the end but we respected them. We know what we have to do.”
