Sagesse Fall in Overtime to Astana as Frustrations Continue in WASL

Sagesse’s painful overtime loss against Astana (104–102) in the FIBA WASL – West Asia League was not just another defeat. It felt like a boiling point for a fanbase that is slowly losing patience, and social media after the game reflected exactly that: anger, frustration, and serious questions about the team’s direction.

From a pure numbers perspective, the game had positive individual performances. Walter Hodge delivered 31 points, while Astana’s E.J. Day exploded for 38. Paris Bass added 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Kevin Murphy chipped in 20. On paper, Sagesse stayed competitive until the final seconds. But basketball is not only about box scores. It is about identity, rotation management, and trust within the roster — and that is where the cracks are becoming impossible to ignore.

One of the biggest talking points is the almost complete absence of the Lebanese bench. Jad Khalil and Ali Haidar did not see the floor. Against Tadamon Hrajel earlier, the bench was also barely used. Fans are asking a very logical question: how can a coach expect players to contribute in crucial moments if they never play throughout the season? You cannot suddenly rely on your bench in big games when those players have no rhythm, no confidence, and no real game reps.

The situation of Marc “Bobo” Khoueiri perfectly summarizes this issue. He gave Sagesse an energetic and effective run in the first quarter, attacking, defending, and bringing intensity. Then he was benched in the second quarter and never truly reintegrated. The message sent is clear in the eyes of many supporters: the coaching staff does not fully trust him. And that lack of trust eventually kills any chance for development.

Even more worrying is the offensive structure. No Lebanese player is taking real decisions within the offense. The ball is almost exclusively in the hands of Paris Bass and Walter Hodge. While both are high-level players, this type of dependency makes Sagesse extremely predictable. When defenses lock in on those two, the entire system collapses. There is no secondary Lebanese creator, no local leader initiating sets, and no balanced hierarchy.

Shooting is another alarming factor. Sagesse finished the game with just 6 three-pointers made on 23 attempts (around 26%). In modern basketball, especially in international competition, that percentage is simply not good enough. Astana attempted 45 threes and made 19. That gap alone explains a large part of the outcome. Poor spacing shrinks the floor, makes driving lanes harder, and puts even more pressure on isolation basketball.

The bigger picture is brutal: Sagesse has now lost four of its six WASL games. For a club with this history, ambition, and fanbase, those numbers are unacceptable. This is not the profile of a contender. This is the profile of a team searching for itself.

Fans are not only angry because of the loss. They are angry because they don’t see a clear plan. They don’t see rotation consistency. They don’t see local player empowerment. They don’t see growth from week to week. What they see is repetition of the same mistakes.

Sagesse still has talent. Sagesse still has experience. But unless there is a serious rethink of rotation usage, offensive balance, and trust in Lebanese players, this season risks drifting further away from the club’s standards.

Right now, the message from the stands and from social media is loud and clear: this version of Sagesse is not built to compete for titles.