LA ROCHELLE, France (Interstat) — La Rochelle will host Quimper on Saturday at Salle Gaston Neveur in La Rochelle, France, as each club seeks a stronger start in the early season. La Rochelle will aim to protect home court, while Quimper will search for its first victory.

La Rochelle enters with a 1-2 record. The home side most recently fell at Antibes 85-74. Marcus Williams led La Rochelle with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes. Williams’ 20-point game was his most recent outing and marked the top scoring effort for La Rochelle in that contest. Roman Parmentelot added 10 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Youri Golitin scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds. Earlier this season, La Rochelle defeated Koroivos 95-88 at home and dropped an 87-82 decision at Toulouse Basket. Williams is the player to watch for La Rochelle after his 20-point effort at Antibes.

Quimper enters with an 0-3 record. The visitors most recently lost at Nantes 76-62. Phillip Russell paced Quimper with 15 points, two rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes. Victor Diallo added 12 points and two rebounds, and Damien Bouquet finished with seven points, four rebounds and one assist. Diallo and Bouquet provided secondary scoring for Quimper in the Nantes loss. Earlier, Quimper lost at home to Levallois 79-77 and fell at Rennes 89-73. Russell has been a consistent presence, posting 12 points, five rebounds and six assists against Levallois and 14 points, two rebounds and five assists at Rennes. He is the player to watch for Quimper.

The matchup at Salle Gaston Neveur will give Quimper a chance to secure its first win and La Rochelle an opportunity to even its record. The game is part of a crowded stretch for both clubs, with several contests scheduled in the coming weeks. La Rochelle’s schedule continues with a home game against Levallois before road games at Saint Etienne and St. Chamond. The club also is set to host Nantes and Aix, visit Caen, host Hyeres-Toulon and travel to Blois, Chalons-Reims and Vichy. Quimper’s upcoming slate includes a road game at Le Havre followed by a trip to Caen and a home contest against Fos-sur-Mer. Quimper also is scheduled to visit Orleans, host Blois, visit Vichy and Poitiers, host Hyeres-Toulon, visit Chalons-Reims and host Rouen. Both teams will look to use the game as a step before a busy stretch of league play.

Interstat’s game simulator projects La Rochelle to defeat Quimper 88-81. The projection gives the home team an edge as La Rochelle seeks its second win and Quimper pursues its first.