Europe 1 with AFP 20:00 p.m., March 19, 2023

Victorious against Le Mans in the semi-finals of the Basketball France Cup, Monaco qualified for the final of the competition, 40 years after its disappointment against Limoges, in 1983. The Roca Team will face Lyon-Villeurbanne, coached by Tony Parker, on April 22 at Bercy.

The two locomotives of French basketball, Monaco and Asvel, will meet in the final of the Coupe de France after beating Le Mans and Strasbourg respectively on Sunday in the semifinals in Trélazé (Maine-et-Loire). The two representatives of the France championship in the Euroleague will play against each other for the fifth time of the season on April 22 at Bercy.

In the first four encounters this season, Monaco have won each time, while Asvel emerged victorious in the Elite final last season, at the end of the suspense. The Monegasques, fourth in the Euroleague and leaders of the Elite, remain undefeated in March and chain an eighth consecutive victory in all competitions.

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Monaco and Asvel fought

At the Arena Loire in Trélazé, where the quarterfinals were played on Saturday and the semifinals on Sunday, the players of the "Roca team" had to work during a game chopped by many faults, against Manceaux who led by 13 points at the beginning of the second quarter (28-15) and swung in front at halftime (46-45) thanks to a basket from his own racket of Matt Morgan, author of 34 points in total.

Without its star leader Mike James, temporarily suspended for behavior deemed inappropriate internally, Monaco made the difference in the last minutes to win 87-78 and confirms its excellent momentum on all tables for a month. Asvel, who remain on eight losses in a row in the Euroleague but who won the Leaders Cup in February, defeated Strasbourg (85-69), finalist of the Coupe de France last season.

The Villeurbannais started the game well by leading 30-17 at the end of the first quarter but saw the Strasbourg go ahead just before the break (45-44). TJ Parker's players then got their hands on the game with six players above ten points, and remain in contention for a hat-trick at the national level.