ROUEN, France (Interstat) — Rouen hosts Vendee Challans on Friday in a French LNB Pro B matchup that pits a team fighting for playoff positioning against one struggling at the bottom of the standings.

Rouen (17-21) enters the 8 p.m. local time game at Salle des Cotonniers on a three-game win streak after beating Orleans 84-72 on Saturday. The victory improved the home side’s record across all competitions. Center Arthur Bouba led the way with 16 points, six rebounds and a block in 27 minutes, continuing a strong stretch that includes double-digit scoring in four of his last five outings. Over that span, Bouba is averaging 17.2 points and 5.6 rebounds, with a high of 22 points in a loss to Poitiers on April 24.

Vendee Challans (5-33) sits near the bottom of the Pro B table and has lost 12 of its last 13 games. The lone bright spot came May 8, when it defeated Alliance Alsace 91-84 at home. Jeremy Bichard, a shooting guard, posted 21 points, seven assists and two rebounds in 29 minutes in that win. However, Bichard’s production has been inconsistent — he scored eight points in a loss to Orleans on April 26 and just one point in a defeat at Vichy on April 17. The team’s struggles were magnified in a 110-77 loss at Vichy and a 98-76 loss at Nantes earlier this month.

The most recent head-to-head meeting went to Rouen, which beat Vendee Challans 79-73 on Dec. 12, 2025. That victory was part of a season series that saw Rouen sweep the two matchups, though details of the earlier game were not provided.

Rouen’s recent form has been buoyed by a balanced attack. Alongside Bouba, point guard Ikenna Ndugba had 16 points and two assists in the win over Orleans, and small forward Niels Pharose added 13 points. The team has won four of its last five, with the only loss coming in a 90-88 heartbreaker to Poitiers on April 24.

Vendee Challans, meanwhile, has shown flashes of competitiveness but lacks consistency. In its win over Alliance Alsace, center Luka Nikolic contributed 14 points and six rebounds, and power forward Mohamad Diop had nine points and eight rebounds. But those efforts have been rare; the team has lost by double digits in eight of its last 10 defeats.

Key for Vendee Challans will be containing Bouba in the paint and generating offense from Bichard, who is averaging 9.8 points over his last five games. Rouen will look to push the tempo and exploit a Vendee defense that has allowed an average of 96.7 points over its last three losses.

Tip-off is at 8 p.m. Friday at Salle des Cotonniers.