Basket Landes will begin a busy month of January, during which no less than eight matches await, including four in the Women's League, with the reception of the Flammes Carolo. An opponent who had hardly weighed heavily during the first leg, on September 28, 2024, swept 94-61 in his room.
From there to implying that the return leg will only be a formality for the Landaises, there is a gap that no one will risk jumping, or even considering. Starting with Julie Barennes, who immediately cuts short any excess confidence, especially since her players ended the year 2024 by sticking out their tongues and a narrow success against La Roche Vendée (70-67), which followed with two losses, in Tarbes in the championship (63-74) and in the Euroleague in Brno (65-69). Quite the opposite of the Ardennes who have almost had their fill of victories: four in the last five matches.
“They are on an ascending phase and show potential in the domestic and foreign sectors. We will be hyper-suspicious,” warns the Landes coach. Especially since the figures leave many doubts between Neo-Aquitaine and Carolos who display the same record when entering 2025: seven victories and four defeats on both sides.
“Don’t let them attack”
What distinguishes the two teams that are right behind each other in the rankings? Their difference in points, to the advantage Basket Landes, which has the third defense in the championship (712 points conceded in 11 matches), where the Carolos, who have already conceded 851 points, have the worst. But if their defense appears more than porous, their attack is literally fiery: second behind Bourges with 847 points scored in 11 games, an average of 77 points scored per match.
It is therefore a real opposition of styles that we must expect for a resumption where there will certainly be a spirit of revenge in the air: to correct a mixed end of December on the local side, to definitively erase the autumn slap on the visitors' side . Julie Barennes has no doubt about the involvement of her team, three days before another reception, that of CBK Mersin, Wednesday January 8 in the Euroleague.
“They are focused on the match because they know that it will not be easy: we must not let them attack, nor shoot from distance, especially not let them gain confidence. » The Landaises, for their part, would be well inspired to take a huge gulp to launch the month of January as best as possible, just to make it a little more digestible…
