First-placed Arantia Larochette moved to 2-0 with a 99-64 home win over Kordall Steelers, but the game was tight for a half. Arantia led only 18-17 after the first quarter and 40-35 at the break, with KDS staying in touch through Malcolm Henry Swift Christie (23, 1.93m, CAN) and Blake Andrew Jones (24, 2.05m, AUS).
The turning point came after halftime. From 45-40, Daniel Alves Brandao de Sousa's team went on a 9-0 burst to reach 54-40, then later another 9-0 push from 54-42 to 63-42. The third quarter ended 71-44 after a dominant 31-9 spell, and the margin grew to a game-high 35 in the fourth.
Arantia's control came from possession battles: 48-26 on the boards, 18 steals, and only 9 turnovers, while Kordall lost 28 balls. Larochette also shot a good 55% on 2-pointers (26/47).
MVP Edson Rafael De Sousa Silva (19, 1.88m) led ARA with 26 points, 5 assists and 5 steals, shooting 5/5 on free throws, a good 6/10 from 2-point range and a good 3/7 from deep. Michael Esosa Imariagbe (24, 2.01m, USA) added a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Joshua Robinson McClary (23, 1.89m, USA) gave 16 points and 7 rebounds on 6/8 inside. Local support was strong too, especially Noé Tibold (20, 1.98m) with 9 points on excellent 3/4 two-point shooting and 3/3 free throws.
For Antonio Alexandre Bento dos Reis Pires' KDS side, Jones finished with 22 points and shot an excellent 8/11 from 2-point range. Christie scored 18, while Gerry Schuder Minden (19, 1.80m) contributed 7 points. Kordall actually posted a good 52% on 2-pointers and a good 50% from three, but the turnover gap made the difference.
(AI generated)