Already a winner on Wednesday on the Boulogne-Levallois floor (94-77), Pau-Lacq-Orthez qualified on Saturday for the semi-finals of the French basketball championship (Elite) by dominating the Ile-de-France team (81-71 ).
With the surprise victory Wednesday of Strasbourg in the Principality (100-97), Monaco, back to the wall, snatched a decisive third match Monday on the Rock by winning after extra time in Alsace (97-95).
Pau led by six points at halftime (39-33) against the Metropolitans trained by Vincent Collet, also coach of the Blues.
Carried by Konaté, Boulogne caught up in four minutes, but Elan Béarnais and its small leader Justin Bibbins (1.73 m) then pressed on the accelerator to widen a gap in their favor again.
The duel between two of the best scorers of the season, the Palois Brandon Jefferson (28 points) and the Boulonnais Will Cummings (14 points), MVP of the regular season, turned to the advantage of the first.
If Boulogne could not count on the traditional three-point address of Keith Hornsby, completely transparent, Vincent Hunter distinguished himself with 23 points. On the Pau side, Jérémy Leloup made a solid contribution (21 points) to the building knitted by the coach, Eric Bartecheky. His flock, who won the Coupe de France at the end of April against the Strasbourgeois (95-86), are in search of a tenth title of champion of France, the last dating back to 2004.
Unlike Pau, Monaco had to fight in Strasbourg to stay alive. The two teams were tied (44-44) at the start of the third quarter. In this one, the Rhénus public gave voice and the SIG managed to take the lead thanks in particular to Amine Noua, decisive at three points. Strasbourg started the final quarter with a six-point lead (64-58).
But the Monegasques, through their star leader Mike James (30 points) snatched the extension to the chagrin of the opposing coach, the Finn Lassi Tuovi. The score was 78-78 with 23 seconds left but the locals failed to take advantage of their last possession.
A three-point shot from James from the start froze the Alsatians from the start, who collapsed before starting a fantastic comeback. Noua, author of 17 points, signed a three-point shot six seconds from time to come back to score (95-95) but the inevitable James cooled the Rhénus a second before the buzzer.
Monaco, second in the regular season and heroic quarter-finalist in the Euroleague, therefore avoided ending its season prematurely on a sad note.
In the other Elite semi-final, Dijon, who fell Limoges on Friday, will find the winner of the quarter between Villeurbanne and Cholet, who face each other on Sunday at the Astroballe in the decisive match 3. Asvel, defending champion, had dominated the Dijonnais in the final last season.
