The Pau Sports Palace was packed and buzzing with an electric, celebratory atmosphere. The Béarnais supporters have demonstrated their rightful claim to rejoin the elite basketball league and face their long-standing rivals from Limoges. Their players rose to the occasion, marking the first time this season that the home team emerged victorious in a match between these two rivals.
Marvin Clark delivered a monumental performance, scoring 27 points with an impressive 11-of-14 from the free-throw line, along with 9 rebounds. His +/- rating of 36 and a player evaluation of 33 were crucial. The entire team dominated the rebounding battle, securing 46 boards compared to their opponents’ 33. However, it was only in the final quarter that Poitiers began to falter, with Pau outscoring them 24-10.
In its morning edition, La République des Pyrénées paid tribute to the architect of this resurgence: “The objective set by the management last summer has been achieved. A victory and a deserved reward for president Guillaume Berbinau, who had the courage and determination to inject personal funds to refloat a Béarnais institution on the brink of bankruptcy after five rather questionable seasons of management, when little solid remained once the gloss of the logo was scratched.”
The most significant challenge now lies ahead for Elan Béarnais. As coach Mickaël Hay reminded Sud Ouest, “(…) We are taking a further step because next year will be very tough. We will inevitably be among the teams with the smallest payrolls. This group, individually, they can all play, have a role at a higher level, but it’s not strong enough. Things need to change, with a small payroll for sure. But well, that’s how it is, this is a first step completed and… We’ll see tomorrow! Let us enjoy the evening before thinking about all that with the management.”
