TBC Defeat Pôle France 81-79 to Secure Group A Spot

TBC Secures Spot in Group A After Hard-Fought Victory Over Pôle France

Toulouse Basketball Club (TBC) overcame a challenging contest against Pôle France on Tuesday evening, securing an 81-79 victory. The win guarantees the TBC’s participation in Group A for the second phase of the Nationale 1 masculine championship. Raphael Djasrambaye led the TBC with a flawless shooting performance and eight rebounds.

The victory comes on the heels of a win against Tours, and allows the TBC to move four lengths ahead of Rennes, who lost at home to Tours. With three days remaining in the regular phase, the TBC has solidified its position.

A Game That Tested Toulouse

The match, played at the Petit Palais des sports, proved to be a tougher challenge than the first leg, where the TBC won 112-92. While the TBC’s collective strength – with five players scoring 10 or more points – was key, Djasrambaye’s performance was particularly noteworthy, going 7-for-7 from the field and grabbing eight rebounds.

Toulouse started strongly, building a lead of 13-22 by the 7th minute and extending it to 21-26 at the end of the first period, effectively managing the early success of Pôle France’s Mahop, who scored 8 points in the first ten minutes. However, Pôle France mounted a significant comeback.

The Toros struggled towards the end of the first half, conceding a 13-4 run and trailing 44-41 at halftime. They continued to face adversity throughout the third period, falling behind by as many as eight points (55-47 at the 25th minute). Despite this, they demonstrated resilience, narrowing the gap to 59-57 in the 29th minute with two free throws from Gauthier. Soliman responded with a three-pointer, putting Pôle France ahead 62-57 at the end of the third quarter.

Pôle France regained an eight-point advantage early in the fourth quarter (67-59, 31st minute). It took a collective defensive effort from the TBC and the efficiency of Djasrambaye, Minnig, and Ona Embo to regain the lead, achieving a narrow advantage of 73-74 by the 38th minute. They extended this to two points (74-76, 39th minute) and managed to hold onto that lead in the final possessions, securing the hard-fought victory.

Statistical Breakdown

The final score was Pôle France 79 – Toulouse 81. The game was officiated by MM. Guillaume Poulaillon and Isiah Schmidt.

For Pôle France, Mahop led the scoring with 14 points, followed by Masdieu Reynaert (14), Gabriel Des Bordes (13), and Soliman (11). Vado contributed 9 points. They shot 30 of 62 from the field (48%), including 6 of 15 from three-point range (40%), and 13 of 20 from the free-throw line (65%). They secured 35 rebounds, with Soliman and Vado each grabbing 8, and recorded 19 assists (Masdieu Reynaert with 5). They also had 12 interceptions and 18 turnovers, committing 21 fouls.

For the TBC, Ali, Djedje, and Ona Embo each scored 14, 12, and 11 points respectively. Louis-Thérèse added 9 points, and Gauthier contributed 6. Djasrambaye scored 14 points, and Minnig and Pluvy each added 9 and 6 points respectively. The TBC shot 30 of 67 from the field (44%), including 8 of 26 from three-point range (30%), and 13 of 19 from the free-throw line (68%). They grabbed 40 rebounds, with Djasrambaye leading with 8, and recorded 23 assists (Ona Embo with 8). They had 13 interceptions and 16 turnovers, committing 18 fouls.

The TBC’s ability to overcome a determined Pôle France side underscores their strength as a collective unit, and their victory ensures a continued presence in Group A as the championship progresses.