Wins are racking up for AS Monaco Basketball, who secured their sixth consecutive victory in the Betclic Elite by defeating Le Mans 81-74 over the weekend.

The game at the Antarès Arena on Sunday 26th January was hard-fought, with both sides exchanging blows from the start.

Mike James and Donatas Motiejunas led the way for Monaco early on, while Alpha Diallo provided his trademark energy on both ends of the court. A stunning alley-oop finish by Jaron Blossomgame, set up by Diallo, gave the Roca Team a slight edge in the first quarter, which ended 24-17.

Le Mans fought back in the second quarter, led by Buchanan and Delaunay, going on a 17-4 run to take the lead, capitalising on Monaco’s lapse in execution. By halftime, the Roca Team trailed 42-37.

“We knew we had to adjust and bring more intensity in the second half,” said James, who finished with a game-high 23 points.

The adjustments paid off. Monaco dominated the third quarter, outscoring Le Mans 28-15. Diallo hit clutch three-pointers and contributed to a strong defensive effort, while Matthew Strazel added eight of his 16 points during this stretch.

Despite Monaco carrying an eight-point lead into the final quarter (65-57), Le Mans refused to back down, narrowing the gap to just one point midway through. Strazel then hit a spectacular off-balance three-pointer to regain the lead, while Mam Jaiteh and Petr Cornelie made crucial defensive plays to keep Le Mans at bay before James sealed the win with a three-pointer in the closing minutes.

“We stayed together and trusted each other,” said Diallo, who tallied 12 points. “That’s what made the difference tonight.”

Speaking after the game, head coach Vassilis Spanoulis noted, “It’s always tough to play here, especially without some of our key guys [Jordan Loyd, Elie Okobo and Georgios Papagiannis], but the team stepped up, stayed focused and delivered when it mattered.”

Monaco will next face Real Madrid in a EuroLeague fixture at home in the Salle Gaston Médecin on Friday 31st January. Tickets for the highly anticipated game have already sold out.

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Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball