Upside down in the first quarter, Orléans Loiret Basket then had a phenomenal reaction to defeat Aix-Maurienne on the road this Friday, December 6, 2024 (96-115). The OLB, after a hitch against Evreux on Tuesday, resumed its march forward thanks to an exceptional offensive performance.
Aix more than perfect in the first quarter
Orléans Loiret Basket, which did not have Timothé Crusol for this trip (muscle injury), clearly did not approach the match in the right way. By letting the Savoyards play at the high pace they like, the Loirétains were pierced from all sides in the racket, at speed or thanks to the oiled passing game of the locals. So much so that Aix-Maurienne had scored 29 points in ten minutes almost exclusively indoors, with an address of 93% (!). Despite these mistakes, the OLB had kept up the pace in attack to stay in contact (29-24, 10th).
With Mérédis Houmounou at the head of the revolt, Orléans closed ranks and blocked access to its basket much better. Against the Savoyards who still found some ammunition in the counter-attack, it took the entire second quarter for boss Lee Moore and his team to take the advantage for the first time, just before the break (48-49, 20th).
Irresistible
The improvement in the second quarter turned into a huge blue sky upon returning from the locker room. This OLB no longer had anything to do with the one who had started the game and unleashed a wave of aggression on the Aixois. This materialized with a 9-0 start (48-55, 23rd). And when the excellent Lee Moore came out, Rudy Demahis-Ballou and Mérédis Houmounou, ultra-precious coming off the bench, took over wonderfully (64-81, 29th).
Condemned to the feat to score, the Savoyards inexorably slipped. Orléans, still supported by its bench, reached the 100 point mark in the 35th minute, thanks to a dunk from Nicolas Pavrette (80-100, 35th). Irresistible at three points, the OLB won 96-115, thanks to a final basket from hopeful Anthony Wassom.
Jérôme Couton-Coudray
