Leslie Ardon finds her mark from beyond the arc

Leslie Ardon had her best match of the season for Nantes-Rezé.

She scored 11 points during the first period including 3-of-3 from behind the arc as Nantes took control of the match (31-18).

Ardon finished the match with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists as Nantes won on the road (81-68).

Nantes were very aggressive from the start of the match and Jessica Moore scored the first point of the game.

Claudia Das Neves put Clermont-Ferrand in front for the only time in the game with a trey.

This lead did not last for long as Clarisse M'Paka fired a shot from down-town as Nantes took early control (5-3).

Afterwards Ardon went to work as Nantes stretched their advantage (21-10).

Sandrine Ronot then took over the offensive duties for the guests as they controlled the first period (31-18).

The second quarter was a more even affair with Emma Randall and Elena Nikopolskaia doing most of the offensive work for Clermont-Ferrand.

Ronot found her mark from behind the arc on two occasions as Nantes held on to their advantage. Yuliya Andreyeva also hit a shot from behind the arc with Nantes going into the interval ahead (46-31).

The game as a contest came to an end early in the third period as Nantes advantage passed the 20-point mark after a 10-0 burst (56-31).

Nantes were not in difficulty for the rest of the game as both sides played the match out.

For Nantes-Rezé - who were without their captain Marie Vincente Santa Cruz who is out for a minimum of four weeks - had five players in double digits.

For Clermont-Ferrand Claudia Das Neves was led the scoring with 14 points.

Basket Landes fell in money-time again

When it comes to suspense in the LFB then Basket Landes are becoming the masters. They have a habit of making the final quarter nail biting.

Playing at home against Aix-en-Provence, Basket Landes trailed for most of the game and yet four minutes from the end of the game Bineta Diouf scored a three-pointer to put the home side in front (63-62).

Unfortunately they were not able to score again as Aix-en-Provence tightened up in defence.

Aix-en-Provence finally secured their victory as the Australian combination of Hollie Grima and Renae Camino scored back to back baskets (66-63).

However the game was only made safe in the last minute as K. B. Sharp was fouled by Ekaterina Dimitrova on her drive to the basket.

Sharp scored her free-throws. When Camino addeded 2 more points from the charity stripes to end the suspense (70-63).

Hollie Grima led the scoring for Aix with 22 points while Diouf and Dimitrova scored 16 points apiece for Basket Landes.

Reims back to winning ways

The return of Orsolya Englert for Reims after her absence last weekend made all the difference in their match against Asptt Reims. She scored 9 points and dished out 7 assists as Reims won (71-64).

Englert is well known by the head coach of Arras, Bruno Blier, because she played for him two seasons ago.

After a 13-3 run Reims had the better of the first period and went into the second quarter leading (21-12).

Arras started to get their game in order. Once Leilani Mitchell and Mia Fisher started to find holes in the Reims defense their side reduced their deficit (22-27).

Bernie Mosby then stepped up offensively and Arras eventually drew level (30-30).

Reims weathered the storm and went into the interval leading (38-31) after Marie-Laure Fleury-Kindoki, Valeriya Berezhynska and Manon Sinico (left) found their way to the basket.

The second half the match had no resemblance to the first one as both sides fought more in the paint with an interesting contest between Mame-Marie Sy-Diop for Reims and Marielle Amant for Arras.

Arras used a lot of energy in chasing after the score and managed to draw level (49-49) through Jenna O'Hea.

The teams were level again (51-51) before Sinico ended the scoring for the period to take Reims into the final period ahead (53-51).

Berezhynska and Mosby became more involved in the battle under the boards during the final quarter. The advantage swung finally in favour of the home side as they edged in front (61-55).

Both sides let a lot of points go at the free-throw line. Reims also most paid the price for this as Fisher and Mitchell brought Arras to within 2 points (64-66) with the game in money-time.

Englert delivered the knock-out blow for Reims by splitting a pair of free-throws with the game in the last minute (67-64).

In he final minute Arras fouled to stop the clock. Reims scored 2-of-4 from the charity-stripes while Amant fouled out and Arras lost the game (64-71).

Sy-Diop led the scoring with 17 points. Berezhynska compiled a double double of 15 points and 14 rebounds. Sinaco scored 11 points.

For Arras Amant led the way with 19 points, while Fisher scored 16 points on her return to Reims. Mitchell dished out 7 assists and scored 8 points while Mosby also scored 8 points and finished with 12 rebounds.

LFB basketball news: Tarbes knocking Bourges off the top

Bourges Basket have only lost 3 regular season games since January 2007. Liz Moeggenberg has been in two of the winning teams.

She was in the Arras team that won in 2007 and she is the captain of the current Tarbes that have just ended Bourges' invincibility in the LFB.

Moeggenberg put the first points on the board as she fired in a shot from beyond the arc. Tarbes then fell behind as Bourges went on an 8-0 run.

Yet Bourges failed to increase their advantage. Tarbes came back with N'Deye N'Diaye scoring her sixth point on the buzzer (13-13).

Tarbes completed a 13-0 to open the first big lead of the game (22-15).

Bourges continued to struggle while Tarbes took full advantage with Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehoui and Tanisha Wright in particular to increase their advantage to 16 points (36-20) by the interval.

The third period was all about defense as both sides found it difficult to score.

Ana Lelas hit a trey for Bourges to open the scoring during the third period. However the player of the third period was Polina Tzekova.

She hit a three-pointer that increased Tarbes' advantage for a brief moment. Lelas also scored the final points of the quarter (49-30).

Bourges went all out in the final quarter and hit Tarbes 10-0 as Céline Dumerc started to take control of the game (41-51).

Bourges had five minutes to save the game and with Dumerc on fire, Tarbes were in trouble. With the game in money-time Dumerc hit a three-pointer to make it a 6-point game (49-55).

As Tarbes have become masters of money-time ... and with Yacoubou-Dehoui and Wright scoring they appeared to have done enough (59-49) with 36 seconds left to play.

However for Dumerc the game was not over. She fired in a shot from down-town. Bourges' hopes of coming back was ended by Moeggenberg (right) who was to score the last 5 points for Tarbes to hold off Bourges to win (64-56).

Wright led the scoring with 17 points while Yacoubou-Dehoui finished with another double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Tzekova also finished in double digits with 10 points.

For Bourges Dumerc and Lelas were the only players in double digits with 17 and 13 points each.

The rest of the LFB basketball news from the games on Sunday

Sheana Mosch finished with 30 points but ended up on the losing side. In the opposing team Kirby Copeland had her best match for Challes-les-Eaux with 25 points.

Silvia Janostinova-Bedu was very active offensively with 21 points.

The match itself was exciting as both sides played offensive basketball.

The teams were level (68-68) with the game in money-time when Sheana Mosch pulled off an incredible shot.

This appeared to be enough to win the game. But with 21 seconds left to play Challes had the ball and set up the play for Martina Luptakova-Gyurcsi who scored (70-70).

There was no time for Montpellier to set up anything. But Pauline Krawczyk managed to fire off a shot on the buzzer that missed the target.

Nothing much happened during the first overtime with each side only scoring once. However Mosch almost won the game with a last ditch effort that almost went in.

During the second overtime Janostinova-Bedu and Copeland scored to give Challes the advantage. When Stéphanie Dubios added 2 more points for Challes (78-72), there was no way back for Montpellier.

Challes went on to win (85-78).

How can you stop Drljaca and Robert when they play at home?

Ljubica Drljaca (left)and Géraldine Robert combined for 46 points as Villeneuve d'Ascq won the LFB derby match against Union Hainaut Basket (87-69).

Villeneuve played well in the first period and led (23-17).

They should have ended the game as a contest during the second period.

Instead they lost their way and allowed UHB to make up most of their deficit and reduce their advantage (42-41).

Drljaca fired in two three-pointers to get the third period off to an electric start.

Iziane Castro Marques added another three-pointer as it appeared that Villeneuve were about to run away with the game.

Tiffany Stansbury had other ideas and yet again UHB stopped the Villeneuve advance. Union continued their chase as Villeneuve's lead decreased (52-50).

Villeneuve stepped on the turbo and scored 10 quick points. But then they allowed Chioma Nnamaka all the room she required for scoring a three-pointer at the end of the quarter (57-64).

Nnamaka scored again at the start of the final period. Afterwards she had to watch her WNBA teammate Castro Marques go on a scoring spree of 12 points as Villeneuve dominated the last quarter to secure the victory.

Drljaca led the scoring with 25 points which included 3-of-4 from behind the arc. She also had 4 assists. Robert (right) scored 21 points and took 17 rebounds. Castro Marques scored 17 points while Fatimatou Sacko made her return to the Villeneuve roster and scored 9 points.

For UHB Kathy Wambe and Vedrana Grgin Fonseca both scored 11 points.

Clermont-Ferrand 68-81 Nantes-Rezé

Basket Landes 63-70 Aix-en-Provence

SJS Reims 71-64 Arras

Tarbes 64-56 Bourges Basket

Villeneuve d'Ascq 87-69 Union Hainaut

COB Calais 90-70 USO Mondeville

Challes-les-Eaux 85-78 Lattes-Montpellier