Leiden beat Okaapi Aalst 92 to 77 in the BNXT-league on Friday evening. The home side had not won their opening game, losing to Brussels, while Aalst carried two victories into the fixture. By then the visitors held third place on the board, though both clubs sat on zero points after just two matches.
Leiden had the game won inside twenty minutes. They moved the ball with purpose and Aalst were left flat-footed in defence. The visitors could not find their rhythm and the gap widened before the interval. It was not the outcome anyone expected.
Our prediction had gone for the away side at 53 per cent confidence. The forecast did not come true. Leiden's structure from the tip was cleaner, and Aalst had nothing to lose but found nothing to build on. The match turned on those early exchanges rather than any single moment.
The visitors were overrun in midfield and could not sustain their usual tempo. Leiden held their nerve when the score threatened to drift away. Both sides shot at similar rates, but the home team converted what mattered. Aalst's earlier wins did not protect them tonight.
Leiden move into the top half with that result. Aalst drop to fourth and face questions about consistency. The table goes out of the window in these games, but the shift is clear. One side played with urgency, the other did not.
