Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365, published on Tuesday January 27, 2026 at 10:44 p.m.
Le Mans and Chalon both won on the second day of the second group stage of the Champions League, against Hapoel Holon and Wurzburg respectively.
Perfect start to the second group stage for Le Mans in the Champions League. Winner in Galatasaray (83-90) last week, the MSB beat the Israeli club Hapoel Holon, in a match which took place in Bulgaria, this Tuesday, and can greatly hope for a place in the quarter-finals (it will be necessary to finish among the first two of this group of four). Le Mans won by a large score of 85-106 after a one-sided match, led from start to finish. The Manceaux waited until the end of the first quarter to create a real gap (21-29). They continued their momentum in the second, exceeding the ten-point gap in the 17th minute (37-48), but the Israelis managed to come back a little at half-time (46-53). Identical scenario in the third quarter, where MSB regained a ten-point lead (60-70, 28th), before seeing Holon return to -5 at the end of the quarter (70-75). But the men of Antoine Mathieu (the coach of the Espoirs, who replaces Guillaume Vizade for a week, who has just become a father) sealed their victory at the start of the last quarter, by signing an incredible 19-0! It was ultimately a victory with a 21-point difference, in the wake of an excellent David DiLeo (26pts, 6/9 at 3pts). Next week, Le Mans will host Rytas Vilnius, beaten after extra time by Galatasaray on Tuesday.
The Le Mans markers: Grasshoff (6), Williams (4), Simonovic (5), Bogues Jr (13), Berhanemaskel (17), Hudgins (13), Dufeal (5), DiLeo (26), Thomas (17)
Chalon, for its part, had been largely dominated in Badalone last week (107-75), but Elan recovered well by beating Wurzburg 86-75 this Tuesday. The Chalonnais started the match well, with a 10-8, but the Bavarians came back to match at the end of the quarter (27-27). Wurzburg then remained in the lead throughout the second quarter but failed to gain more than a four-point lead. That was the gap at halftime: 42-46. The Germans then led up to 51-52 in the 25th, before Chalon came back into the match and in turn widened a nice gap (66-57). But that was without counting on the tenacity of the Bavarians, who signed a 7-0 to finish the quarter and almost come back to the level (66-64). Everything came down to the last ten minutes, which were very intense. Chalon perhaps thought he had done the hardest part by leading 77-70 (25th) but Wurzburg came back to 78-75. There were then 2’21 left to play, but the Elan finished very strongly, with eight points in a row scored by Jeremiah Hill, without the Germans managing to score! The leader finished with 16 points, while his friend Grant Golden added 20. Next week, Chalon will travel to Malaga, currently 6th in La Liga. Not easy…
The Chalonnais markers: Nadolny (6), Anochill-Killen (5), Darling (13), Hill (16), Leray (4), Tonnelier (3), Mutts (5), Golden (20), Cuthbertson (14)
Keep reading
