Paris (AFP)

The Bourges basketball players went to win Saturday at Mont-de-Marsan in the Landes basketball hall (66-61), in a late match of the 10th day of the Women's League, a success that allows them to remain undefeated.

Bourges has nine wins in as many games (18 points), while Basket Landes and Céline Dumerc recorded their first defeat of the season in the French Championship, after eight matches played in the Women's League (15 pts).

The Tango de Bourges was led at half-time by a good Landes team (32-23) including in its ranks the leader Céline Dumerc, who was playing her 500th match in the French Championship.

But the third quarter was fatal to the Montoises, who conceded a 21-10.

"We had a real offensive breakdown. In attack, we were in great difficulty. I think it is also due to their defense, but we did not manage to express ourselves, nor to find our rhythm," said Dumerc at the microphone of the channel L'Equipe, after the meeting.

"Leaving Bourges to 66 points is not catastrophic. It is not defensively that the second period is lost, but it is offensively that we have had no solution. Blame it on Bourges who really did well defended, ”added Dumerc.

The two teams will meet in the Euroleague on January 22, during the second window of the competition, since they are in the same group.

Basket Landes won the first leg (69-66) in early December.

In the other late matches played on Saturday, the Gazelles de Lattes Montpellier won 86-70 against the Lyonnaises, reigning French champions (in 2019).

The Héraultaises, who have won only three times in seven matches, were able to count on the American back Myisha Haines-Allen, WNBA champion with the Washington Mystics in 2019 and author of 28 points on Saturday, as much as Marine Johannès for the Asvel.

This is the third defeat of the season (out of eight matches played) for the Lionesses who therefore find themselves, with five victories, far from the nine successes of Bourges.

The season is completely turned upside down by the Covid-19 pandemic and the postponements due to positive cases in the teams.

The Women's League has decided to devote the months of December and January to late matches, before resuming "if possible" the course of the regular season in February.

© 2021 AFP