JL Bourg dominates Cholet and earns match point at home
Cholet Basket hoped to capitalize on their excellent regular season and home court advantage to start their playoffs well. But JL Bourg came to spoil the party this Monday evening at La Meilleraie. Superior in all aspects, the Bresse team won convincingly (71-95), dealing CB a real blow and earning themselves a chance to qualify at home on Wednesday.
VICTORY 🔥@CB_officiel – 71 🆚 95 – JL Bourg
The 1st match is won in this battle. The work will continue this Wednesday May 28 at 19h at home! 👊
🎟️ https://t.co/nXOoG2cKNB#WeRedy | #PlayoffsBetclicElite pic.twitter.com/loMQ3CUmOZ
— JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) May 26, 2025
One-way game after balanced start
Even before tip-off, emotion was high at La Meilleraie, with Fabrice Lefrançois receiving the Coach of the Year trophy. But the nice moment quickly gave way to the harsh reality of playoffs. While Cholet started well, Bourg created the first gap (4-9, 4th), in an already tense atmosphere. Very quickly, CB’s poor outside shooting (0/4 from 3-point range after ten minutes) and JL’s physical impact tilted the balance in favor of the visitors.
Cholet faced aggressive defense, lost 13 balls in the first half, and struggled to contain Salash and Kokila inside. A flash from Nathan De Sousa allowed CB to come back to -2 (25-27, 14th), but Bourg immediately responded with a 7-0 run. At halftime, the warning signs were clear: 1/10 from 3-point range, 10 points behind (30-40) and a worried crowd.
🔔 | Adrian Nelson at the buzzer, how beautiful! 😍⏰#BetclicELITE pic.twitter.com/SKoWyEkX3c
— DAZN France (@DAZN_FR) May 26, 2025
A one-sided fourth quarter
After halftime, Cholet sank further. Despite a slight awakening from Ayayi and Wheeler (39-47, 24th), Bresse resumed their forward march (39-53, 26th), then built an insurmountable lead in the final quarter. Nelson, Jefferson and Joël Ayayi delivered the final blow, while Kevin Kokila dominated the Cholet paint (60-81, 36th).
JL Bourg rolled out their game with confidence, while CB chained concentration errors and turnovers. The end of the game was long and painful for the Cholet crowd, witnessing a true demonstration.
Back against the wall, Cholet must respond
With this heavy defeat, Cholet has lost the home court advantage earned through hard work during the regular season. On Wednesday at Ekinox, Fabrice Lefrançois’s men must achieve something special to extend their season. JL Bourg, meanwhile, has never looked so solid and close to returning to the semi-finals.
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