Fabrice Lefrançois (Cholet): "Making the People of Cholet Happy Makes Me Happy"
Cholet Basket (CB) has finally broken a five-game losing streak against MSB, a run that spanned the last two seasons and included three championship matches, a Leaders Cup quarter-final, and a French Cup quarter-final in 2025.
CB dominated nearly the entire match, showcasing exceptional accuracy from beyond the 6.75m line (15/33) and decisively winning the rebound battle (44 to 32). Mohamed Diarra was a standout, nearly achieving a double-double with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Johnny Berhanemeskel's 23 points for Le Mans ultimately proved insufficient.
Cholet Basket's coach, Fabrice Lefrançois, shared his thoughts following the victory:
"This victory is well-deserved given the flow of the game. For me, it started with our preseason preparation. The fact that we had already beaten them in a friendly might have broken a mental block, proving we were capable. I'm thinking of our supporters because this success means a great deal to them. When we make the people of Cholet happy, I am happy. This string of defeats wasn't a deep scar, but it was certainly painful. The away game in November, we could have won that one. So tonight, we are content, and it's deserved because we led for almost the entire match. Against MSB, rebounding was a key factor; it was a lesson learned from last season when we were outmatched in terms of physical impact."
Meanwhile, Le Mans continues to suffer from the prolonged absence of Wilfried Yeguete, and with Jonathan Jeanne playing only 4 minutes, the team's depth was clearly impacted.
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