The Monegasque Roca Team and Elan Béarnais will meet on Saturday afternoon (4:15 p.m.), still in the Principality, for match 2 of this half.
Monaco, new big engine of the French championship for several seasons (2nd budget of the Elite behind Villeurbanne), winner of the Eurocoupe (antechamber of the Euroleague) in 2021 and which rose to the quarter-finals of the Euroleague this season, still hunting for a first title of champion of France.
Struggled by Strasbourg in the quarter-finals, with a defeat conceded to Gaston-Médecin, and two victories won after extra time in Alsace and then again in the Principality, Monaco made it easier on Thursday evening, dominating the first leg from start to finish. of his semi-final.
The gap steadily increased to 21 points (73-52) at the start of the fourth and final quarter, then 27 points less than five minutes from the final buzzer (81-57), then 33 points ( 92-59) in the last two minutes.
Monaco signed a great collective performance with six players over 10 points, the prize going to Yakuba Ouattara (15 pts, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks).
Eric Bartecheky's players, winners of the Coupe de France in mid-April, will try to debunk the statistics, because since Monaco's return to the first division in 2015, the Palois have won only once in 17 regular season and play-off matches over the last seven seasons.
© 2022 AFP