Basketball. Left behind for the Leaders Cup, Caen BC focuses on remaining in Fos-sur-Mer

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After the defeat suffered at the Palais des Sports in front of Châlons-Reims (76-84) on Saturday December 21, 2024, the Caen Basket Calvados is now 7th in Pro B after 17 days. Left behind by the members of the top 4, the men of Stéphane Eberlin are now out of the race to qualify for the Leaders Cup, which will take place in Caen from February 14 to 16. On the other hand, they are very well engaged in the race to maintainwhich remains the main objective since the start of the season.

The first objective is maintenance. We know that it will take 13 or 14 victories, so we will do everything to get there as soon as possible.

End the year with a victory

Caen BC plays its last match of 2024 on the Fos-sur-Mer field, this Friday, December 27. In addition to obtaining a new victory on the way to maintaining, the Caennais will seek to put an end to a series of defeats in progress. Beaten in the last quarter in Orléans (89-77), the Cébécistes then “took a slap” against Châlons-Reims at home (76-84). In the words of Haitian strong winger Marc-Eddy Norelia, the Caennais are keen to redeem themselves. “We are disappointed because we didn’t want it to end like this,” he explains. We will continue to work and come back strong. We have a big match on Friday. »

Stéphane Eberlin gave the same speech after the match against Champagne Basket. Caen BC, as well as its public, would have been very happy to qualify for the first Leaders Cup organized in Caen. Even more so in the year of the club's return to Pro B. But we must not forget everything that has been achieved since the start of the season.

Two defeats in a row never feel good. Now we focus on the next match. We shouldn't throw everything out the window because we lose twice, we know that it's not a long, quiet river.

A month of January which promises to be complicated

The winter break will arrive just before the end of the first leg. After the trip to Fos-sur-Mer, the players will leave for a few days of vacation after 18 matches played. They will resume training at the beginning of January before playing three matches: against Gries-Souffel, in Poitiers and against Pau-Orthez. If two of these teams are behind Caen BC in the standings, it will be important to negotiate all these matches well to get closer to remaining in Pro B.

At the start of the season, it was necessary to go through extra time for the Caennais to win at home against Poitiers. Since then, the Poitevins have moved back to the front of the standings and have the same record as Caen BC (ten victories and seven defeats). In the event of a victory at Fos-sur-Mer before the break, Caen would be in a better position to tackle this month of January which is worrying Stéphane Eberlin.

We are in a negative series, it is up to us to break it as quickly as possible, from the next match. Afterwards, there will be a truce and we will re-attack the month of January which will be very complicated.

One thing is certain, a lot of people would have signed to post 10 victories at the end of the first leg. Even if the appetite comes with eating and like all competitors, the Caen BC players want more, we must not forget that for many this is their first year at this level. Maintaining a position acquired quickly, or even a place in the Betclic Elite accession playoffs, would be more than satisfactory.

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