Monaco fought through a wildly erratic night in Le Mans on Saturday, grinding out a 84-93 win at Antarès to secure their sixth consecutive Betclic Elite victory. It wasn’t exactly a textbook performance, but it was enough to bury the frustration from their EuroLeague double-defeat in Belgrade and keep their domestic streak alive.
The Roca Team opened the game at full throttle. With Kevarrius Hayes and Nikola Mirotic rested, Jaron Blossomgame crashed through the Le Mans defence, Daniel Theis controlled the paint, and Matthew Strazel delivered a behind-the-back pass so slick it probably offended half the arena. Mike James and Alpha Diallo joined the early onslaught, helping Monaco storm to a 18-35 first-quarter lead. When Yoan Makoundou detonated back-to-back dunks to stretch the margin to 21-39, it looked like a long night ahead for Le Mans.
Then came the wobble. Monaco’s focus slipped, Le Mans woke up, and Berhanemeskel caught fire from beyond the arc. A once-comfortable advantage crumbled to just three points by halftime, with ASM suddenly looking like a team still haunted by Belgrade rather than one leading the French championship.
Things briefly got worse after the break. Monaco went scoreless for two minutes, Le Mans drew level, then pulled ahead through Williams and Hudgins. At 61-55, the Antarès crowd was roaring and the Roca Team looked rattled. A lifeline arrived when Makoundou drilled a three-pointer, Diallo forced his way to the basket twice, and Mike James—back from foul trouble—buried a confidence-restoring long bomb. The chaos evened out at 68–68 entering the final quarter.
From there, Monaco finally remembered they are, in fact, Monaco. Diallo, James and Juhann Begarin pieced together a vital burst to nudge their side ahead 68-74, and the defence snapped back into shape. Makoundou continued a standout display with another calm three-pointer, while Elie Okobo attacked the rim with purpose as Le Mans’ legs faded. With four minutes left, the visitors led by 13, and this time they held their nerve.
The 84-93 win wasn’t glamorous, but it was gritty, timely and fully deserved. Yoan Makoundou emerged as the night’s standout, turning defence, dunks and clutch shooting into a complete performance that helped drag Monaco over the line. After a turbulent week, six straight domestic victories will do nicely.
