El Élan Chalon opens its European campaign with a tight win against Manchester Basketball
« De temps en temps, ça fait du bien de prendre une bonne claque, ce qu’on n’-a pas eu en présaison… Faut se bouger le cul maintenant », a exprimé Elric Delord. The remarks followed a 13-point defeat at Bourg-en-Bresse that abruptly halted the club’s unblemished seven-game preseason.
That response materialized on October 7, 2026, at Le Colisée, where Élan Chalon edged newcomer Manchester Basketball 79–72 in their opening fixture of the FIBA Europe Cup 2026–2027 season. Founded only in 2024, the visiting English side entered European competition as an unknown quantity, yet pushed the French hosts to the limit before fading late in the fourth quarter.
A sluggish first half gives way to a decisive offensive shift
Neither side engineered a dominant team display during a largely contested affair that saw the visitors fight back to level the score at 68–68 with just three minutes remaining on the game clock. Chalon struggled early to find an offensive rhythm, managing only 32 points across the entire first half. That slow start mirrored lingering concerns from a dismal 1-of-16 shooting performance from beyond the arc in their previous outing at Ekinox.
As play progressed into the second half, the offense opened up considerably as the hosts poured in 47 points after the break. Despite finishing with a 38.8 percent shooting mark from the field compared to 43.9 percent for Manchester Basketball, Chalon capitalized on second-chance opportunities and interior dominance. The team collected 13 offensive rebounds out of 39 total boards, wearing down an opposition defense that ultimately proved too thin down the stretch.
Inside dominance and a third-quarter spark drive the victory
The interior combination of pivots Grant Golden and Noa Kouakou-Heugue battered the Manchester defense throughout the evening. Golden posted a team-high efficiency rating of 21, recording 16 points and 6 rebounds, while teammate Kouakou-Heugue contributed 13 points in the paint.
The frontcourt duo benefited from the playmaking of guard Mathéo Leray. Following a summer in which he nearly departed for the NCAA, Leray delivered a standout double-double performance consisting of 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists. His most damaging sequence arrived in a blistering four-minute span during the third quarter, during which he handed out seven decisive assists to ignite the Chalon offense.
Captain Jeremiah Hill overcomes early shooting struggles
Team captain and floor leader Jeremiah Hill endured a difficult shooting night before finding his range when it mattered most. After struggling heavily with his perimeter look in the opening periods, Hill hit crucial baskets during the second half to finish with 18 points, despite converting just 6 of his 19 total field goal attempts.
While the victory successfully launches Chalon’s European campaign, the match exposed ongoing concentration lapses and structural flaws that coach Elric Delord’s squad will need to address. The Bourguignons must elevate their overall control and collective mastery ahead of upcoming European group fixtures.
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