BORDEAUX (France) – Versailles (FRA) outpointed gutsy compatriot Paris (FRA) to claim the FIBA 3×3 Bordeaux Challenger on July 12 in important preparation before the Olympics. 

Here’s what happened in the ninth Challenger of the season.

The winner: Versailles (FRA)

They were: No.1 most points, best shooting value and fewest points allowed. 

There was even more importance on this event than usual because the Paris Olympics is just around the corner. 

Like No.1 seed Paris, Versailles have two players in France’s Olympic squad.  Timothe Vergiat and Lucas Dussoulier both tuned up superbly with eye-catching performances to help Versailles make a mockery of being seeded eighth. 

But they were overshadowed by Leopold Cavaliere, who poured in 38 points to claim MVP. 

Versailles made a statement immediately when they defeated Paris in a tight contest in what proved to be a final preview. 

The Frenchmen were pushed by Liberec (CZE) in a tough quarter-final, but Cavalière was in beast mode to finish with 8 points and 12 rebounds. 

It was Vergiat who stepped up big against Belgrade (SRB) in the semis before Versailles outmuscled a shorthanded Paris to dominate the paint in a one-sided final. 

The runner-up: Paris (FRA)

French stars Jules Rambaut and Franck Seguela were keen for a big showing before the Olympics and Paris enjoyed a strong run, but could not crack Versailles in both their games. 

There is some concern over Seguela, who started on fire against Bordeaux Ballistik (FRA) with 8 points and 6 rebounds. But he suffered an injury in the next game against Versailles as Paris had to fight for their lives without their talisman. 

Paris did not roll over with impressive knockout wins over Pirot (SRB) and Plunge (LTU) as Rambaut stepped up big time with 19 points combined. 

Seguela bravely tried to play in the final, but he was clearly inconvenienced in a worry for France before the Olympics. 

The Final: Versailles 21-Paris 11

The French fans got their wish with Paris and Versailles meeting in the final.

Contrary to seeding, Versailles entered as favorite having won on Day One and there was also doubt over whether Paris superstar Franck Seguela would be able to play having missed the earlier knockout games due to injury.

Paris had shown so much resolve to make it to the final, but they looked out of gas from the get go. Leopold Cavaliere continued to play bully ball down low as Versailles raced out of the blocks with the first six points. 

Paris tried their best to rally, but it was in vain as Cavaliere threw down the two-handed jam to inch Versailles closer. 

Seguela decided to test his body in a bid to inspire Paris and spark a miraculous comeback.

But he was clearly hobbled and unable to defend properly as Cavaliere feasted with a couple of more dunks as Versailles stormed to the title. 

The reward: Three tickets to the Shanghai Masters

With runner-up Paris having already secured a ticket, Versailles, Plunge and Belgrade booked their spots to the Shanghai Masters on September 21-22.

Final Standings:
1. Versailles (FRA)
2. Paris (FRA)
3. Plunge (LTU)
4. Belgrade (SRB)
5. NY Harlem (USA)

Top Scorers:
1.  Nikola Tasic (Belgrade, SRB) 39 pts
2.  Leopold Cavaliere (Versailles, FRA) 38 pts
3. Jules Rambaut (Paris, FRA) 33 pts
4.  Hugo Suhard (Paris, FRA) 31 pts
5. Timothe Vergiat (Versailles, FRA) 29 pts

Key Stats:
– NY Harlem (USA) legend Dominique Jones aka ‘Disco Domo’ wound back the clock with a triple-five of 10 points, 6 rebounds and 9 highlights against Tel-Aviv (ISR) on Day One.
– Young gun Jacopo Bertotti starred for Utrecht (NED) on Day One with a triple-five against Belgrade and a buzzer beater against Plunge.  
– The final between Versailles and Paris was the fastest game of the tournament at 7’19” of playing time.

FIBA