Landes played host to Tarbes in what was their final home game of the regular season, setting the stage for an intense matchup with plenty at stake. The game had been closely contested from the start, with both teams trading baskets and defensive stops, making for an electrifying atmosphere.
As the first half neared its conclusion, Tarbes’ standout player Magali Mendy found herself with the ball on the wing. With time slipping away, she launched a three-point attempt just as the shot clock was about to expire. The ball soared through the air, only to bounce forcefully off the rim, ricocheting straight into the hands of Landes’ center, Pardon. At that moment, the game took an unexpected and almost comical turn.
With only two seconds left in the half, the sound of the buzzer echoed through the arena. Mistakenly believing that the buzzer signified the end of the second quarter, Pardon casually placed the ball into her own basket, treating it as a harmless, lighthearted practice shot. But what she failed to realize—at least initially—was that the buzzer she had heard was merely for the shot clock and not the halftime signal.
A wave of disbelief rippled through the crowd and her teammates, their faces a mixture of shock and amusement. The realization hit Pardon like a ton of bricks—she had just given away two points to Tarbes in one of the most unusual ways possible. Her unintentional own-basket was officially the last play of the half, and it sent Tarbes into the locker room with a slim one-point advantage.
Despite the embarrassing blunder, Pardon and Landes refused to let the mistake define them. Instead of crumbling under the weight of the mishap, the team came out in the second half with renewed determination and a point to prove. What followed was a masterclass in dominance. Landes took complete control of the game, outplaying Tarbes in every facet and executing a brilliant second-half performance. The final scoreboard read an emphatic 90-64 victory in favor of Landes, erasing any lingering memories of the halftime mishap.
Pardon, to her credit, bounced back strongly. She contributed eight points and distributed five assists, playing an integral role in her team’s triumph. However, it was her young and immensely talented teammate, 20-year-old Leila Lacan, who truly stole the show. Lacan, who is set to join the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, delivered a scintillating performance, torching the opposition with 26 points while also grabbing five rebounds.
Following the game, Pardon was candid about her feelings regarding the blunder. Admitting she had been mortified by her moment of misjudgment, she expressed deep regret for the lapse in concentration.
“It was a professional error on my part,” she acknowledged. “I apologised to my teammates and the coaching staff. It was important for me to make up for it, to contribute something positive to the team. I was ashamed, and the thought that we could have lost the game because of my mistake was inconceivable.”
Fortunately for Pardon, her teammates rallied around her, and her moment of horror ultimately became a mere footnote in what turned out to be a spectacular win. With their confidence soaring and the regular season wrapping up, Landes now shifts its focus to the challenges ahead, knowing that even in the face of unexpected missteps, resilience and teamwork can turn any game around.
