Ligue Féminine de Basketball
Just one place left for the championship title

With just four places in the Ligue Féminine de Basketball play-off series the coaches from Bourges Basket, Challes-les-Eaux and Lattes Montpellier are more than happy because their teams have already qualified after coming on top this weekend.

On Friday evening Challes-les-Eaux survived a cliff-hanger against Basket Landes (66-63) to secure the first place in the end-of-season play-off amongst the top 4 teams from the LFB regular season.

Challes-les-Eaux led for practically the whole match but failed to make the game safe. Basket Landes made their trademark final-quarter run and trailed by a single point (59-60) with 40 seconds left to play.

However the chance of victory disappeared with Danielle Page (in picture) hitting a rain-maker from way down town with 30 seconds to play. Her team then did the rest from the free-throw line for the victory.

Mistie Mims yet again was the leader in points and rebounds with 21 points and 11 rebounds while Emilija Podrug added 14 points.

For Basket Landes the inside duo of Jennifer Humphrey (15 rebounds) and Justyna Zurowska (11 rebounds) both had double-doubles and finished with 15 and 17 points respectively.

Despite their defeat against Lyon BF Mondeville are still two games clear of Basket Landes and Hainaut Basket who are in joint fifth place.

What happened on Saturday in the Ligue Féminine de Basketball

Bourges Basket blew away Aix-en-Provence in the first quarter (23-9) and then paced themselves to victory (75-45).

Bourges dominated the rebounds on both ends of the court and scored 44 points in the paint. Emméline Ndongue with 15 points and Céline Dumerc (in picture) with 10 points and 6 assists once again showed their leadership qualities for Bourges Basket.

Nwal-Endéné Miyem and Styliani Kaltsidou also finished in double digits with 11 and 10 points each while for Aix-en-Provence Natalie Hurst had 15 points.

Lattes Montpellier put a demonstration in the art of finishing by hitting 31-from-52 from the floor in a (75-47) victory against Charleville-Mézières.

Edwige Lawson-Wade scored 17 points and dished out 7 assists while Ana Lelas chipped in 15 points. Kaayla Chones rolled in 14 points while her American team-mate Kristen Mann had to sit this game out.

There is not much to say about Charleville-Mézières who were unable to do much against the excellent finishing from their opponents in the first quarter (75%) and faded away the rest of the way. Djéné Diawara was the only player in double digits.

In the final game of the evening between the two teams at the bottom of the tables Tarbes held off Cavigal Nice (88-81).

A decision has not been made on the Tarbes' 8-point penalty. So for the moment the club is fighting for survival on the basket court.

Tarbes lost to Cavigal Nice on the road earlier in the season by 23 points but made no mistake this time with Canadian international Lizanne Murphy scoring 20 points while picking up 10 rebounds. Paoline Salagnac's good offensive play continued with 17 points while Florence Lepron helped herself to 10 assists for the victors.

For Cavigal Nice Fabienne Constant and Estonian international Merike Anderson both had 15 points.

Lyon BF are the big winners this weekend

For the second time in the Ligue Féminine Lyon BF (in picture) came out on top against USO Mondeville. The match went all the way to the wire with the hosts coming out on top after Audrey Sauret hit the game winning free-throw (75-74).

Mame-Marie Sy-Diop was the hero of the match with a perfect 9-of-9 from the floor for 22 points while Krystal Thomas in her best game so far finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

It also appeared that Marissa Coleman's contract has been extended for Lyon. She played in the match and was the third scorer with 9 points. Katerina Zohnova was the leading scorer with 22 points for Mondeville.

This is the third defeat for Mondeville this season by a single point. Despite this loss they still remain in fourth place with a 2-point lead over the teams in fifth place.

Villeneuve d'Ascq cannot stop winning, this time on the road against Nantes-Rezé (73-67). A balanced scoring attack with five players in double digits was the key in the victory. Anne Breitreiner, Emilie Gomis and Kathy Wambe (5 assists) all scored 15 points while Sidney Spenser and Olayinka Sanni (11 rebounds) added 12 and 11 points respectively.

For Nantes-Rezé, despite the efforts of the inside pair of Aurélie Bonnan (12 rebounds) and Aminata Nar Diopthis (10 rebounds) with 17 and 16 points respectivly, it was not enough to prevent the third straight defeat for the hosts.

The North derby between Hainaut Basket and Arras went all the way into overtime before the hosts came away with the victory (71-68).

Arras had the chance to win the game in regulation time with the last shot as the clock wound down but the desperation shot by Joyce Cousseins-Smith (16 points) did not connect.

In the end Amisha Carter with 26 points and 10 rebounds was the match winner for the hosts. Leilani Mitchell was the top scorer for Arras with 18 points.

LFB results from round 22

Challes-les-Eaux 66-63 Basket Landes
Tarbes 88-81 Cavigal Nice
Lattes Montpellier 79-47 Charleville-Mézières
Aix-en-Provence 45-75 Bourges Basket
Nantes Rezé 67-73 Villeneuve d'Ascq
Lyon BF 75-72 USO Mondeville
Hainaut Basket 71-68 Arras

Look back at what happened in round 21

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