Paris loses against Bourg

Paris Basketball’s U21 team suffered an 85-90 defeat despite a superb third quarter this Saturday against JL Bourg in the 21st round of the championship.

Back in France after a trip to Bologna for the adidas Next Generation Tournament, our young Parisians faced JL Bourg for a spot in the Top 5. A crucial match at the end of the regular season, which Bourg started off well. Throughout the first half, three possessions consistently separated Paris from Bourg (33-41). Playing at home, Julien Mahé’s squad came out firing after halftime.

Having been under pressure from the visitors until then, Paris Basketball capitalized on two strong stretches in the third quarter to close the gap. This coincided with our rebounding surge. And with a clinical jump shot from Melvine Mbame, our U21 team even pulled within two points (59-61). In just a few minutes, the game’s momentum shifted dramatically. As the final minutes approached, our Parisians continued their relentless pressure on JL Bourg, who nevertheless managed to maintain their lead.

Despite consistent offense, we couldn’t pull ahead. Our opponents waited for a slight lull to extend their advantage. Marko Aleksic’s monster double-double (18 points and 10 rebounds) wasn’t enough. Paris Basketball fell 85-90 after repeatedly coming close to taking control of the game.

Now 7th in the Espoirs ÉLITE league, our young Parisians will face Dijon this Friday at 4:30 PM away from home.