Playoff bound Bourg can set its sights high after vaulting past the reigning champs to the top of the standings.
Bourg displayed championship traits in win over champs



Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse enters 2024 as the frontrunner in Group B of the BKT EuroCup after defeating defending champion Dreamland Gran Canaria 92-84 in overtime on Tuesday night. Bourg became the first team in the group to claim a playoff berth as it moved atop the standings with an 11-2 record.
Having now played Gran Canaria and third-place U-BT Cluj Napoca, Bourg can set its sights on winning the group and clinching a bye in the first round of the playoffs. It appears that the team is already thinking beyond that.
“Hopefully we can keep it going,” Bourg forward Isiaha Mike said after the game. “There’s a history of No. 1 teams getting to the finals and then losing, so hopefully we can change that and bring a championship home to Bourg en Bresse.”
Compliments also arrived from the opposing bench with Gran Canaria head coach Jaka Lakovic saying in the post-game press conference: “The last month Bourg is playing at a very high level. Probably the [EuroCup] team that is in the best shape at this moment, together with Paris.”
Lakovic had good reason for saying that as he witnessed Bourg win a tough game despite not playing its best basketball. After an excellent first half that ended with the hosts up 15, Bourg blew that lead and was forced to get the win in overtime. A big part of the reason for Gran Canaria’s comeback was the 19 turnovers Bourg committed. The visitors cashed in 20 points off those turnovers.
Even so, Bourg never trailed and excelled with its shooting and rebounding. Coach Frederic Fauthoux’s men controlled the glass 46-37. The hosts also made 52.3% of their two-pointers and shot 44.8% from downtown. In contrast, Gran Canaria was 43.9% on twos and 34.2% on threes.
Much of Bourg’s success came from contributions from unexpected places. Backup center Bodian Massa, in just his fourth game in the EuroCup, scored 8 of his 16 points in overtime. Another reserve, Bryce Brown, made 5 of 8 three-pointers for 17 points.
The top dog was once again Mike, who finished with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Mike authored the basket of the night, a turnaround three with 29.1 seconds left in overtime that put his team up by 4 and all but sealed the win.
After he praised the team: “We’ve just been clicking, man. That’s all this says about this team. We’ve been rolling. We’ve been improving in all the areas we need to improve. Obviously, we have a little more we want to do. But I can’t be happier with this group.”
Coach Fauthoux knows a thing or two about winning. A star point guard during his playing days. Fauthoux won seven French championships with Pau-Orthez and made 47 appearances for the French national team. So to see his team show the mental toughness to overcome Gran Canaria when not playing its best basketball and to rely on some second-stringers to do are great signs for the future.
Fauthoux called it “a very good victory against the champion.”
“We believe [in ourselves] and that’s the principle. And in the end, with a team like this, it’s perfect,” he said. “It was a tough game… The players can be proud after this game.”
Belief can take a team a long way in basketball. And Bourg looks ready to take us all on a ride in 2024.