ASVEL in EuroLeague, JL Bourg in EuroCup, and now… Le Mans in BCL! The three French men’s clubs lined up this Wednesday February 4 in the European Cup all won. Each time with rather stressful scenarios. The MSB was no exception. Hosting Rytas Vilnius, which is quite simply the most prolific attack in the Champions League, the Manceaux were 11 points behind at half-time (32-43). The return of Guillaume Vizade on the European scene after his paternity leave did not really go as planned. But this Le Mans team – widely complimented by Gianmarco Pozzecco or Pierre Puppet in recent weeks – is full of resources.
“Our ugliest victory”
Unlike the last European outings, the Espoirs were little used this time (6 minutes for Bastien Grasshoff1 pour Swann Penda and 0 for David Simonovic). The staff instead needed its executives and veterans to turn the game around. A paid choice. Because if the team did not find the 3-point target (4/19) like the sniper and MVP of BCL last week David DiLeo (4 points to 0/3 on shots), the players rather went to get their points in the racket.
A change in appearance compared to their last victories, which were rather played on the outside address (MSB has the 3rd best 3-point percentage in BCL with 39.7%). It is in the racket that the artists Johnny Berhanemeskel (20 points) et Trevor Hudgins (12 points, 5 assists) excelled, they who prefer to draw from afar.
It was these three North Americans who had the strong nerves to produce an 8/8 on free throws in the last 30 seconds and escape the comeback of the Lithuanians. There had been a 25-12 for Manceaux in the third quarter before that. At the microphone of Maine Libre, Guillaume Vizade described this match like this: “It may be our ugliest victory but that’s why it’s probably one of the most beautiful […] She had such a hard time giving birth that it makes her very beautiful. These are somewhat founding acts for a team because we are obliged to draw on other resources. »
This victory puts the MSB in a very favorable position for qualifying for the quarterfinals. The team gained strength as the European season progressed. They are now on a series of 6 victories in a row, counting the play-in, and the last success of the first sentence. And in this second phase, their record of 3 wins for 0 losses still places them in first position, ahead of Galatasaray (2 v. – 1 l.), whom they will face next week in Antares.
Smooth as says Berhanemeskel#BasketballCL I @MSB_Officiel pic.twitter.com/r9xRATtBuF
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) February 4, 2026
