Arantia Larochette overpowered Musel Pikes 102-82 in Larochette, sweeping the season series (after the 96-92 win away) and climbing to first place (14-3). Musel remain 11th (3-14).
The tone was set immediately: Arantia opened on an 11-0 run and closed the first quarter 36-21 behind quick strikes from Michael Anthony Carter III (1.96m, USA) and two long-range hits by Kevon Godwin. Musel steadied in the second period (23-24) through Oth Konan Boglin's activity and a Tom Welter three, trimming it to 59-45 at halftime, but Arantia shut the door after the break.
The decisive stretch came with a 13-0 burst to start the third quarter: Tyrell Sturdivant drilled a three, Derek Wilson followed from deep, then Carter III, Jonas Levickas and Godwin piled on for 72-45 and the night's largest lead (+27). A Musel timeout couldn't halt the momentum. In the fourth, contributions from Abram Macalou and Marko Mustafic (two threes overall) narrowed the gap, but Arantia controlled the finish.
Team metrics underlined the gap: Arantia shot well (FT 75%, 2P 70%, 3P 39%) and dished 20 assists, while Musel struggled inside (2P 46%) despite solid free-throw volume (18/28). Notably, Arantia fielded two professionals to Musel's one, an imbalance that weighed on depth and shot creation.
Imports led Arantia: Carter III scored 25 (game MVP) and Godwin added 18. Levickas chipped in 14, while Sturdivant's third-quarter three punctured Musel's resistance. Among the locals, Edson De Sousa Silva (19 years) delivered 9 points with key fourth-quarter baskets; Dylan Rocha Pires and Mykolas Maindron (8 each) supported, with Maindron responding to a second-quarter unsportsmanlike (U2) by scoring five in a row.
For Musel, the local core stood up: Oth led with 19, captain Welter had 12 and Sam Streef 9. Among the imports, Jaylen Key (2.01m, USA) posted 14, and Mustafic added 10. Arantia's win runs their streak to six; Musel's slide extends to 13. Coaches: Karolis Abramavicius (ARA) and Guy Schmit (MUS).
(AI generated)