Gréngewald Hueschtert edged Black Star Mersch 86-80 in Mersch to open the Tour montée round-robin, a close game the visitors closed out behind Aidan Reichert and Max Frederik Hessz. The first quarter swung on discipline: after a tight start (22-22), Jérôme Besenius' unsportsmanlike gave Dayne Prim a free throw and, on the ensuing possession, two more points for 22-25. In Q2 Ricky Easterling's side took control, 28-17 in the period, stretching the gap to a game-high +16 at 34-50 before reaching halftime up 39-53.
Goran Lukic's team roared back after the break. Donte Bezel Pope (Season PPG: 32.05) fueled a 23-15 third quarter, pouring in Black Star's next 13 points in a row during the middle of the period to trim it to 60-62. Technicals earlier on Vladimir Vukovic and Reichert, plus a bench technical on Lukic in Q2, underlined the tension, but no one fouled out. Gréngewald steadied to 68-62 after three, then Hessz hit key free throws and two late threes, and Reichert kept finding twos to push it to 74-86 with under four minutes left. Mersch cut it back, but the visitors controlled the finish.
Top performers
- Black Star: Among the locally trained core, Dean Gindt (34, 2.01m) delivered 19. Among the overseas players, Pope struck for 30, while Desean Hampton (Season PPG: 18.90) added 11; Vukovic (35, BEL) chipped 9 amid early foul trouble.
- Gréngewald: From the homegrown group, Reichert exploded for 31. Among the non-Luxembourgers, Hessz (Season PPG: 12.21, DEU) had 20, and Prim (Season PPG: 28.21; 24, 1.95m, USA) added 21 with a decisive Q2 flurry.
Context and form
- Gréngewald climb to 1st (17-4, +1) and extend their winning streak to 16. Black Star slip to 6th (12-9, -1) and have lost two straight.
- Note: Black Star dressed two professional players to Gréngewald's one, a factor that typically weighs on game balance.
Crucial swings: GRE's 28-17 second quarter created the cushion; BSM's third-quarter surge cut it to two (60-62); Hessz's threes and Reichert's late twos were the game-winners.
(AI generated)