Haidara's Spark Powers La Rochelle Past Saint-Chamond
Ibrahima Cherif Haidara ignited the offence from the bench, pouring in 16 points and grabbing 5 rebounds, as La Rochelle solidified their Top 8 standing with an 87-76 win over Saint-Chamond-Andrezieux. The hosts held a slim five-point lead at halftime, 39-34, but a decisive 27-13 second-quarter surge propelled them to a nine-point advantage entering the final period. La Rochelle maintained their momentum, ultimately winning by 11, bolstered by 36 points from their bench compared to Saint-Chamond-Andrezieux's 9. Despite Arthur Bruyas scoring a game-high 23 points and Maxime Yomi contributing a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, Saint-Chamond-Andrezieux struggled offensively, shooting just 41% from the field and failing to register a single block. La Rochelle, meanwhile, shot an efficient 48% and secured their 11th win, clinching a Leaders Cup playoff spot. Saint-Chamond-Andrezieux now sit 14th with an 8-11 record.