Monaco Looks to Rebound Against Struggling Al Aplemont in LF Women’s Basketball

LE HAVRE, France (Interstat) — A matchup of teams at opposite ends of the France LF women’s basketball standings unfolds Saturday when third-place Monaco visits last-place Al Aplemont.

The game is scheduled for April 4 at Le Havre.

Monaco (16-9) aims to bounce back from a midweek home loss to Saint-Amand, 65-56, which snapped a three-game winning streak. Al Aplemont (3-22) seeks to end a two-game skid after falling 86-69 to Cavigal Nice on Wednesday.

The visiting Monaco squad is heavily favored, having handily defeated Al Aplemont 91-71 in their first meeting on Dec. 20. Monaco’s success is fueled by forward Julie Tetart, who is in the midst of a dominant stretch. Over her last four games, Tetart is averaging 20.8 points and a staggering 25.0 rebounds per contest. She recorded 28 rebounds in a win over Cavigal Nice on March 28 and 30 rebounds against La Tronche Meylan on March 21.

Al Aplemont, anchored in the league cellar, will rely on guard Manon Simplot. She leads her team in production, coming off a 16-point, 9-rebound, 7-assist performance in the loss to Nice. Simplot has averaged 12.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists over her last four games.

Monaco’s recent form, despite the setback, has been strong with wins in five of its last seven outings. Al Aplemont has managed just one victory in its last 10 games, a narrow 84-82 win over Graffenstaden on March 21.

For Monaco, support for Tetart comes from guard Kimsy Demontoux, who scored 17 points in the recent loss, and forward Maud Stervinou, who nearly posted a triple-double with 9 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in that game.

Al Aplemont will need significant contributions beyond Simplot, with forwards Nina Seilly and Elyah Kiavi providing secondary scoring.

Tipoff is set for Saturday evening in Le Havre.