Nigerian forward Murjanatu Musa has crowned an outstanding debut campaign in France by helping Basket Landes win the French Ligue Féminine de Basketball title after a tense 53–50 victory over Tango Bourges Basket in the deciding Game 3 of the finals on Sunday.
The Nigerian international played a key role throughout the championship series and once again delivered under pressure in the decisive contest, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds and two assists as Basket Landes secured a second consecutive league crown and the third domestic title in the club’s history.
Musa ended the night as the third-highest scorer in a fiercely contested finale that saw Basket Landes complete a memorable domestic double after already lifting the French Cup earlier in the season.
[Credit: Basket Landes]
The Nigerian forward maintained remarkable consistency throughout the finals series against Bourges, producing eight points and nine rebounds in Game 2 after earlier recording eight points, three rebounds and one assist in the opening game of the series.
Her ability to impact both ends of the court proved crucial during the tightly balanced finals, especially with Basket Landes relying heavily on defensive discipline and physical intensity to overcome one of France’s most decorated basketball sides.
READ ALSO: Lookman makes LaLiga history as Nigerian stars endure mixed weekend across Europe
Both teams finished the opening quarter level at 15–15 before remaining deadlocked again at 27–27 heading into halftime. Bourges appeared to seize control in the third quarter after moving into a 40–36 lead, but Basket Landes responded brilliantly in the closing stages.
A decisive three-pointer from Marie Pardon with just 17 seconds remaining shifted momentum completely in favour of Basket Landes before the champions successfully closed out the game to spark celebrations.
French star Leila Lacan led the scoring with 19 points and was eventually named Finals MVP after another dominant performance.