« There’s character »: Guillaume Vizade reflects on the battle between Le Mans and Paris
Betclic ELITE - After MSB's victory against Paris Basketball (95-89), Guillaume Vizade praised his players' fighting spirit, while Johnny Berhanemeskel spoke about a special first game at Antarès and Amath Mbaye regretted Paris's lack of consistency.
Photo Credit : Julie Dumélié
Le Mans Sarthe Basket secured a precious and symbolic victory Monday night at Antarès. Against a weakened but dangerous Paris Basketball, Le Mans made the difference in the final minutes. After this tight battle, reactions collected by Le Maine Libre well illustrate the two faces of the game: Le Mans’ satisfaction on one side, Paris’s frustration on the other.
Vizade: « We held on, there’s character in this team »
Smiling but clear-headed, Guillaume Vizade gave a balanced analysis after the game. The Le Mans coach appreciated how his team responded to Paris’s pressure: « We started better and finished better (…). In the middle of the game, they pushed us around, roughed us up, they put pressure on the ball. But we held on, and some numbers are trending in the right direction. »
The coach particularly highlighted MSB’s defensive consistency, able to dominate in the paint (46 points to 24) and make 17 steals, signaling a return to rhythm. The Clermont native also praised the intensity increase from his key players: « There’s character and players like (Will) Yeguete or (Travante) Williams showed the way. »
💬 « What made a difference throughout the game is that we managed to have an impact near the rim »
𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘇𝗮𝗱𝗲’s reaction in press conference ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/zguCvBmx4M
— MSB_Officiel 🦁 (@MSB_Officiel) October 7, 2025
Beyond the victory, he mainly focuses on the progress of a team under construction: « Having already two league wins given our schedule is very positive. »
Berhanemeskel: solidarity as the driving force
Decisive in the fourth quarter, Johnny Berhanemeskel had a successful first game at Antarès. The Canadian guard emphasized the collective strength of a group that never gave up: « We all pushed each other, including during difficult moments, and we found solutions as a team. (…) It’s always tough when shots aren’t falling, but we all trust each other and that helps to bounce back. »
🤯 42 points out of Le Mans’ 91!
Trevor Hudgins x Johnny Berhanemeskel: 2 of France’s best shooters. #BetclicELITE pic.twitter.com/rGge4e3kdE
— Betclic ELITE (@Betclic_ELITE) September 26, 2025
His offensive contribution, alongside Trevor Hudgins (22 points), was crucial in MSB’s late-game comeback.
16
PTS
2
REB
1
AST
Mbaye: « We must learn from this kind of game »
Disappointed but respectful, Amath M’Baye acknowledged Le Mans’ superiority in key moments: « We didn’t make enough decisive plays on offense and defense when we should have, it cost us the game. » The Bordeaux-born forward nevertheless highlighted the quality of the opponent: « We know Le Mans is a very serious and well-coached opponent, congratulations to them. »
For Paris, defeated by MSB for the second time this early season, the game must serve as a reference point: « We must learn from all this, » concluded Mbaye, looking ahead to the upcoming schedule, just like the Le Mans team who will travel to Serbia for their first BCL game of the 2025-2026 season this Wednesday, October 8, in Subotica.
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
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