Bourges Aims for 16th French Championship Title

Bourges, led by Maëva Djaldi-Tabdi’s impressive 15 rebounds, dominated the boards throughout the match, securing a 50-32 advantage against Basket Landes. Their strong defense and balanced offense, with six players scoring between 7 and 11 points, allowed them to control this crucial playoff encounter against the top regular-season team.

Basket Landes, on the other hand, struggled, particularly with their shooting (18/60) and individual performance, exemplified by Murjanatu Musa’s 4/14 shooting and -1 efficiency rating. Leïla Lacan was their leading scorer with 9 points. The team will need to regroup and find their rhythm if they hope to turn the series around on their home court at Espace Mitterrand.

Both teams have already secured spots in the 2026-27 EuroLeague season, which may have contributed to a relaxed approach to the final. Basket Landes welcomed back Camille Droguet, who had been sidelined since March 3rd due to a finger injury. Bourges, however, played without the injured Elodie Naigre. Laétitia Guapo played her final game at Le Prado in front of her family, having announced her departure from the club.

Bourges started strong, with Monique Akoa-Makani scoring six quick points to build a 10-0 lead. Basket Landes struggled to get on the scoreboard, finally tallying their first point from a free throw by Sixtine Macquet after nearly four and a half minutes. Despite a timeout, Basket Landes managed to go on a 0-7 run, narrowing Bourges’ lead to just two points by the end of the first quarter (18-16).

The second quarter saw Basket Landes fighting back. After missed shots by Murjanatu Musa, Camille Droguet scored a lucky basket to tie the game at 21-21. At this point, Basket Landes had already forced 5 turnovers. They then took their first lead of the game with a three-pointer from Leïla Lacan, making it 21-24.

Despite Musa’s continued shooting difficulties (2/10) and Bourges’ rebounding dominance (28-14, with Maëva Djaldi-Tabdi alone grabbing 9), Bourges finished the quarter strong, establishing a seven-point lead by halftime (35-28).

Bourges’ defensive pressure and continued rebounding superiority stifled Basket Landes’ offense, allowing Bourges to extend their lead beyond 10 points (39-28) and reach a high of 51-35. Musa remained ineffective, and the entire Basket Landes team seemed to be struggling. A 2+1 play by Marie-Paule Foppossi and a drive by Inès Pitarch-Granel put Bourges up 56-37.

Kariata Diaby committed a costly fourth foul. Just as Basket Landes seemed to be out of the game, Julie Wojta and Marie Pardon sparked a comeback with outside shots, leading to a 0-8 run that cut the deficit to 56-47 with 7 minutes and 35 seconds remaining.

However, crucial turnovers by Basket Landes and Bourges’ continued dominance on the boards prevented a full comeback. It was at this critical juncture, as Maëva Djaldi-Tabdi achieved her double-double, that she sealed the victory for her team, giving them a decisive lead.

The full boxscore is available here.