Stark's 17 not enough as Orléans Loiret eliminated
MBB: Orléans Loiret loses in French Pro B League semifinals
Former Murray State star Jonathan Stark scored 17 points, but it wasn’t enough as Champagne beat Orléans Loiret, 82-80, to sweep their Best-of-3 French Pro B League semifinal series.
Leading by two at the half, Champagne busted the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Orléans Loiret 27-14. Trailing by 15 at home heading to the final 10 minutes, Stark led the Orléans Loiret rally. He finished with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while chipping in with four rebounds and five assists. Orléans Loiret had a shot at the buzzer to tie it, but Champagne escaped with the 82-80 win. Champagne now advances to the French Pro B League championship series.
As Stark told me over the weekend, he hopes to return to Orléans Loiret next season, but it is still too early to make that decision. He’ll be returning home to Munford, Tennessee in the coming days to spend some time with family and friends this summer before preparing for next season.