US Heffingen took a close 83-80 road win at Black Star Mersch in the Tour montée and moved up to 1st place (+3), while BSM stayed 6th. After the two teams had split their qualification meetings, Heffingen won this third duel. It also stopped HEF's two-game losing run.
Game evolution was clear for three quarters. Heffingen started better, with Jacob Kumal Washington (26, USA) scoring the first 3 points, and built a 18-10 lead after one period. In the second quarter, the visitors created the biggest gap of the night at 14 points, helped by Thomas Killian Quarry (Season PPG: 28.52) and Austin Joseph Parker III (Season PPG: 15.57). At halftime, HEF led 42-31.
Mersch reacted after the break. Dean Gindt (Season PPG: 12.77) and Donte Bezel Pope (Season PPG: 31.81) opened the third quarter with 5 straight points to cut it to 36-42, but Heffingen answered immediately and kept control at 62-52 going into the last period.
The fourth quarter changed the tone. BSM opened with a 7-0 run to get back to 59-64, and coach Goran Lukic's team kept coming. Gindt scored 13 in the last quarter, Pope stayed aggressive, and Mersch got as close as 80-82 after a late 6-0 push. The decisive action came with 1 free throw by Parker III for 83-80.
Top performers were balanced on both sides. For BSM, Pope had 28 and Gindt 21, with Luc Breuskin adding 12 and Desean Hampton 12. For HEF, Quarry matched 28, Washington added 16 in his first game of this competition, Jordan Rodrigo Carreira Kreps (Season PPG: 9.10) had 15, and Parker III finished with 12.
Foul trouble mattered late for Mersch: Breuskin committed all 5 of his fouls in the fourth quarter and fouled out, while Hampton also finished with 5 fouls.
(AI generated)