Cholet beats Pau in Betclic Elite game

Cholet defeated Pau 85-79 on Saturday at la Meilleraie during the third round of the Betclic Elite, securing their first home win of the season. The victory followed a loss to ASVEL in the first round and a win at Nancy, marking a turning point for the team.

Key players shine for Cholet

Digué Diawara scored 17 points for Cholet, including 12 out of 13 from free throws, while Justin Briggs contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds for the promoted Bearnais team. Their performance was crucial in helping Cholet dominate much of the game.

Cholet plays without its captain

Cholet played without its captain Miralem Halilovic, who fractured a finger during a Basketball Champions League match against Hapoel Holon. Despite his absence, Cholet led almost the entire match, with Pau only briefly ahead for twelve seconds.

Pau makes a late push

Pau attempted a comeback after halftime, with Justin Briggs dominating in the paint, scoring 18 points on 8 out of 9 shots and grabbing 12 rebounds. Michael Flowers added 16 points, including 9 out of 9 from free throws, and captain Bastien Pinault scored 12 points on 4 out of 8 from three-pointers.

Digué Diawara's impact on free throws

Digué Diawara, who joined Cholet from Portel in the 2025 season and is under contract until June 2027, made a significant impact on the free throw line, making 13 out of 13 attempts in 22 minutes. Other contributors included Noah Locke, Aaron Towo-Nansi, and Malcolm Cazalon, who all added to Cholet’s strong team effort.

Bastien Pinault reflects on the match

Bastien Pinault commented on the match, saying, "We are the Little Thumb of the division and we felt it tonight. It will be necessary for us to go and seek the respect of everyone. It will be a relatively complicated season, but we will already switch to the next match which is a small final for us."