GRAVELINES (Pro A) - Gravelines-Dunkerque edged Game One in their Pro A play-off against Dijon after stealing an 86-85 win in overtime.
Fabrice Courcier's men were trailing by 11 points five minutes before the end of the contest but managed to force the game into added time before edging Aces Week winners Dijon.
Laurent Sciarra top-scored with 24 points for Dijon, but it was not enough as Gravelines took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
Courcier was disappointed with the result however, saying: "We struggled against their battling defence. And as the match progressed I saw worry in my men's eyes."
Roanne and Chalon-sur-Saone also won their Game One encounters by defeating Cholet (83-75) and Le Havre (74-66) respectively, while Bourg-en-Bresse posted a 73-68 victory over Le Mans.
"The team has rediscovered how to play basketball," said Bourg coach Frederic Sarre, who was voted Best Pro A coach at the weekend and will next year take the reins at Gravelines-Dunkerque.
"However this win does not change anything for us. We still have nothing to lose."
Game Two will take place on Thursday with the decisive contests to be played on Saturday as the teams battle it out for a place in the quarter-finals.
PA Sport