{"id":320450,"date":"2025-10-21T13:14:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T11:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monaco-tribune.com\/2025\/10\/roca-team-topple-asvel-on-their-own-turf-in-dying-minutes\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T13:23:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T11:23:23","slug":"roca-team-topple-asvel-on-their-own-turf-in-dying-minutes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monaco-tribune.com\/en\/2025\/10\/roca-team-topple-asvel-on-their-own-turf-in-dying-minutes\/","title":{"rendered":"Roca Team topple ASVEL on their own turf in dying minutes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Monegasques managed to win at ASVEL on the fourth day of the championship after a thrilling match.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The LDLC Arena hosted an exciting show late on Sunday afternoon between the two major Betclic Elite clubs. Trailing by 15 points at the break after a difficult first quarter, the Roca Team managed to completely turn things around to win (98-102) and join their opponents at the top of the league.<\/p>\n\n

A difficult start<\/h2>\n\n

Who can doubt that the presence of\u00a0<\/span>Valentin Vacherot, winner of the Shanghai Masters 1000<\/span><\/a>\u00a0a few days ago, brought luck to Vassilis Spanoulis’ players? It didn’t seem that way at first, however, as ASVEL, unbeaten since the start of the season, proved more dominant and incisive, particularly when it came to long-range shots. Matthew Strazel’s teammates struggled to defend, conceding 24 points by the end of the first quarter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Principality club was unable to make up the deficit in the second quarter, with inaccurate stops and less intense playmaking. The gap had even widened by half time (41-56). Too big a gap for a team that won at home to Valencia in the Euroleague on Friday evening.<\/p>\n

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Valentin Vacherot and President Alekszej Fedoricsev \u00a9 AS Monaco Basket<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Mike James in demonstration mode<\/h2>\n\n

The Roca Team’s Greek coach Vassilis Spanoulis decided to change his starting five for the second half, adding point guards Elie Okobo and Mike James. James then raised his game considerably. With a total of 25 points and eight rebounds, the American was in demonstration mode, which meant his team-mates could be more at ease in defence and work better collectively. As a result, the Roca Team was just four points behind going into the final quarter.<\/p>\n

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Terry Tarpey takes flight \u00a9 AS Monaco Basket<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

It was total suspense from then on, as the two sides went back and forth in a match that wouldn’t have been out of place in the end-of-season play-offs. The visitors went ahead for the first time in the 32nd minute. In the dying moments, Matthew Strazel showed all his skills to score a decisive three-pointer, with Mike James free-throwing to put the final seal on the match.<\/p>\n\n

Mike James, Strazel’s return, new arena and recruits, objectives: the Roca Team gets back to work<\/a><\/blockquote>