At the end of the year, the Choir is struggling. The week was rather difficult for the Roannais. Florian Léopold’s teammates first had to digest the winless return of Nantes (84-97), Friday December 13. More generally, it was the three-day week (victory against Vichy on the 6th, then setbacks against Blois on the 10th and therefore Nantes on the 13th) which left its mark. “We had a little difficulty getting up,” said Thomas Andrieux, the coach. “We suffered the blow, both physically and mentally.”
Two players still on foot
The squad is reduced by two players. Donte Thomas (power forward), who managed to play nine minutes in Nantes, relapsed. “He tried it but it didn’t hold,” laments his coach. Affected in an ankle, Dylan Affo Mama still remains unavailable. The staff takes stock every day to see where the player is.
It’s a big poster. The desire is to regain momentum and resume our march forward.
All this week, the group has been preparing for the arrival of Orléans, co-leader of the Pro B championship. This next deadline should allow the Roannais to relaunch after two consecutive failures. The challenge is also to stay in contact with a team from Orléans which has two more victories than the Chorale. “It’s a big poster,” summarizes the technician from Roanne. “The desire is to regain momentum and resume our march forward.”
Thomas Andrieux knows that the task is not going to be easy against an Orléans team which remains on three consecutive victories and especially ten successes in the last eleven days. “This is a very balanced team on both sides of the pitch,” analyzes the coach. On the road, the Orléanais are comfortable with only two losses in eight trips.
I think it’s going to be a match with very high intensity. Orléans has a large physical volume.
Faced with this solid opponent, the Choir will have to be consistent for 40 minutes to win. “We have a big battle to fight,” predicts Thomas Andrieux. “I think it’s going to be a match with very high intensity. Orléans has a lot of physical volume.”
The Loiret team has in its ranks the best player in the championship evaluation, Lee Moore. “He does everything, he is in the creation, in the finishing…but Orléans is a real force.”
For this “Christmas Day” of Pro B in Vacheresse, the Hall should vibrate with this poster between two top-of-the-table formations. Kick-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Table tennis in Vacheresse: basketball players have adapted
The Choir week was also marked by the change in configuration of the Halle Vacheresse. Tuesday, December 17, the venue hosted the meeting of the French first division team table tennis championship between Loire Nord and Nîmes-Montpellier of the Lebrun brothers. This led to adjustments for the basketball players who trained as they sometimes do at Coteau on Tuesday. The Choraliens returned to their floor on Wednesday 18th in the morning, for training. “I would like to congratulate all the people who made it possible to put Vacheresse back in basketball configuration,” underlines Thomas Andrieux.
