Denen-Voltier beat Ex-Maurienne 95-77 in the Prob-2 league on Thursday evening. The hosts moved clear at the top of the table with a third consecutive victory. It was the kind of performance that shows when a side has found its rhythm, and here's the thing — they have not lost since the opening weekend.
Ex-Maurienne came into the game sitting eighteenth after one win and two defeats from three matches. The visitors looked out of their depth from the opening tip-off, unable to establish any defensive structure against a Denen-Voltier side that was moving the ball with purpose. To be fair, the home crowd added energy that the visitors simply could not match.
We had called for a home victory before kickoff, putting confidence at 59 per cent. The result vindicated that assessment, though the margin was wider than expected. The visitors have not won since their first game of the season, and this defeat extended that run of poor form significantly.
Denen-Voltier's recent record reads three straight victories: 78-71 against Levallois, 106-81 over Gravelines-Dunkerque, 80-55 against Chalons-Reims, 87-76 versus Ada Blois, and 88-80 with Chalons-Reims again. Ex-Maurienne's form tells a different story entirely — a 59-87 loss to Chalons-Reims, a 100-85 win over Leval, then defeats to Caen and Fos Provence Basket before that away victory against Chalons-Reims in May.
The gap between the two sides in the table is now clear. The hosts sit top with three wins and nothing else to show, while the visitors remain rooted to the bottom of the standings. By then, the result was never really in doubt, and Denen-Voltier saw out the game without unnecessary complications.
