Le Mans eliminated from Basketball Champions League despite victory over Holon
Bastien Grasshoff, key player in Le Mans’ victory (17 points) Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League
It was the most frustrating scenario possible, but one that had always been a real possibility. That possibility became reality on Wednesday evening. Le Mans Sarthe Basket needed a favorable double-result to qualify for the Basketball Champions League quarterfinals. They needed to beat Hapoel Holon at home while hoping Galatasaray would defeat Rytas Vilnius in Turkey.
The French side fulfilled their part of the bargain with a dominant performance, but the Turkish team let them down by falling to their Lithuanian visitors 81-90. Rytas Vilnius claimed the final qualification spot, leaving all three teams with identical 4-2 records. However, Le Mans finished third due to their inferior head-to-head record against the two qualified teams.
A comfortable victory overshadowed by disappointment
Guillaume Vizade’s men had burned their two jokers after their explosive start to the group stage, suffering heavy defeats against both Galatasaray and Vilnius. Their destiny was no longer in their own hands. After the final whistle at Antarès, all eyes turned to the match in Turkey, which ended with an impressive 81-90 victory for Rytas Vilnius, confirming their status as the « strong opposition » that coach Vizade had described after their last encounter.
The same couldn’t be said of Hapoel Holon. Bottom of the group with zero wins, the Israeli team has lost players and is no longer competing in their domestic championship, suspended due to the ongoing conflict. Le Mans easily dispatched them in a one-sided affair, winning 102-92 despite the margin frequently exceeding 20 points. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.
The comfortable victory allowed all 12 players on the roster to participate. Young prospects Swann Penda contributed 2 points in 9 minutes, while David Simonovic also saw action. Penda has been juggling multiple commitments recently, including the U18 French Cup, the ANGT in Abu Dhabi, the Espoirs team, the Leaders Cup, and the BCL.
Meanwhile, Bastien Grasshoff proved he deserved his starting position by scoring 17 points in a remarkable display of shooting touch and basketball intelligence, finishing 6-of-9 from the field with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals for a 23 efficiency rating.
⏰ Fin de match
Notre équipe aura tout donné ce soir pour prendre cette victoire. Malheureusement, nous n'avions pas les cartes en main et notre parcours prend fin suite à la victoire de Vilnius à Galatasaray. #GoMSB 🦁 #BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/ofEQFit4Go
— MSB_Officiel 🦁 (@MSB_Officiel) March 18, 2026
The veteran core once again delivered strong performances: TaShawn Thomas recorded 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Trevor Hudgins added 14 points and 7 assists. Travante Williams contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. These positive signs bode well for the remainder of the club’s season, both in the domestic leagues and the French Cup final.
The future is NOW! 🇫🇷🇫🇷#BasketballCL I @MSB_Officiel pic.twitter.com/wbBKlBvbLV
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) March 18, 2026
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