Orléans Loiret Basket — Chalons-Reims: 84:88, Pro B

Orléans Loiret hosted Châlons-Reims in Pro B on the 26th of September and fell 84-88 at home. The visitors took the win and moved to 22 points, while the hosts dropped to 24 points on the table. And here's the thing — it wasn't supposed to go this way. We had backed the home side at 56 per cent confidence, but the match turned on its head.

By then the game had settled into something neither side expected. Orléans Loiret came into Friday sitting third with 24 wins from 38 games, but they couldn't hold on. Châlons-Reims, ninth with 21 victories, found the extra five points they needed. To be fair, the visitors had been close before — their last defeat came against Po-Lac Orthez by a single point.

What changed things was the home side's inability to close out the game. They'd won nine of their last ten and looked comfortable in their recent form, but this time the momentum shifted. The away team scored consistently when it mattered, extending their unbeaten run in tight contests. By the final quarter the hosts were chasing rather than dictating.

The result leaves Orléans Loiret still third but with less breathing room. Fourteen losses from 38 games is manageable, but not when you're losing at home to a side that has already been eliminated from contention. Châlons-Reims remain ninth and are still mathematically alive, though the gap to the top six is real. They cannot afford another slip if they want to challenge.