Mohamed Diarra signs his points record at Cholet: « If tomorrow I have to go to war, he’s the first soldier I choose. »
Mohamed Diarra (2,07 m, 25 ans) reached a milestone this Friday, February 13 in Betclic ELITE. The Cholet big man set a personal scoring record in Mauges colors with 20 points against BGravelines (91–85), while also pulling down 9 rebounds. It was a decisive performance in his team’s comeback — and another clear signal of his growing importance.
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Mohamed Diarra turns the game around in the fourth quarter
Long in trouble (50–66 in the 27th minute, then 73–83 with three minutes left), Cholet Basket leaned on Mohamed Diarra’s contagious energy to flip the script. In the final quarter alone, the former NC State player scored 11 of his 20 points on 4-of-5 shooting, while adding six rebounds in a dominant stretch.
His efficiency rating jumped from 11 at the end of the third quarter to 27 at the final buzzer — a personal best in Cholet colors. The outburst prompted Jamuni McNeace to tell Le Courrier de l’Ouest: “If Mo plays like that all the time, we’ll never lose a game, I promise you. It was crazy! Rebounds, blocks, steals, assists, shots — he did everything.”
Diarra himself kept it simple: “It was really full energy. I think it’s my best game, by far, with Cholet.”
An energizer recruited to galvanize Cholet Basket
Arriving last summer on a three-year deal after Cholet bought out his contract from Limoges, Mohamed Diarra has looked exactly like the type of player the coaching staff had in mind when they made the move.
« Energy has always been my trademark. If I don’t bring energy, you see it right away. Today, I score 20 points. But even if I don’t score, you always have to bring energy. That’s what drives me. That’s why I’m here in Cholet. They recruited me for that, to be an energizer, to be someone who galvanizes. »
His coach Fabrice Lefrançois emphasized his impact on both ends of the floor: « He’s a player who is first and foremost defensively oriented, on combat, selflessness, deterrence, rebounding. And in the fourth quarter, he really impacted in those areas, but also on offense. » He particularly highlighted his composure at the free throw line (6/6), when he usually shoots 64% in that exercise.
Progress still to be refined, but a high ceiling
This 20-point outing stands as his best mark in Betclic ELITE with Cholet, surpassing the 16 he scored earlier this season against Le Portel. On the broader professional stage, his career high remains the 25-point performance he delivered with Limoges in 2024–25 — coincidentally against Gravelines-Dunkerque — in a game that stretched into triple overtime.
Statistically, Diarra is averaging 7.7 points this season on 42.9% shooting (27.3% from three on 2.2 attempts), along with 6.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks in 22 minutes across 20 Betclic ELITE appearances. He leads Cholet in rebounding and ranks fifth in the league in that category.
For head coach Fabrice Lefrançois, the trajectory is still pointing upward. “We’re committed long-term, we believe in him. He’s made progress, but I don’t know his ceiling. I think he can reach very high,” he said, before adding a line that says plenty about Diarra’s impact: “If tomorrow I have to go to war, he’s the first soldier I choose.”
At 25, with only two full professional seasons behind him, Mohamed Diarra is increasingly looking like more than a complementary piece — more like an energy engine capable of shifting games for Cholet Basket.
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