Avanti Mondorf, 5th in the Tour montée, took an 86-78 home win over 6th-placed Black Star Mersch and stopped Mersch's three-game losing run while bouncing back from a defeat. It was Mondorf's first win against BSM this season after two earlier losses.
The game turned in the middle quarters. After a competitive first period (23-19), Mondorf created separation in the second through its backcourt scoring and reached halftime up 48-36. Early in the third, Tim Bartholomey (Season PPG: 6.32, RPG: 3.76, AssPG: 1.29) hit two threes in a row, and Uzziah Dawkins (Season PPG: 26.80, RPG: 6.85, AssPG: 5.33) pushed the margin to 62-39, the game's highest lead at 23 points. Mersch then answered with a strong 17-1 stretch to close the quarter at 63-56, with Dean Gindt (Season PPG: 13.40, RPG: 4.33, AssPG: 1.78), Desean Hampton (Season PPG: 18.29, RPG: 9.75, AssPG: 2.42) and Donte Bezel Pope (Season PPG: 30.87, RPG: 8.00, AssPG: 4.00) leading the reaction.
When BSM cut it to 70-67 in the fourth, Mondorf had the key answer. Coach Philip Dejworek's side produced a 13-3 run to 83-70, largely through Joseph Daniel Reuter (Season PPG: 23.16, RPG: 11.96, AssPG: 3.19) and Dawkins, and that decided a close finish.
Dawkins was MVP with 29 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals. Reuter added a major double-double with 22 points and 18 rebounds. Tim Bartholomey scored 15 and shot a good 40% from three. Mondorf's team edge came from 14 made threes at a good 40%, plus only 7 turnovers.
For Mersch, Pope scored 23 with good free-throw shooting (5/6) and 9/13 on twos, Hampton posted 15 points and 17 rebounds with excellent 2-point accuracy (6/7), and Jérôme Besenius (Season PPG: 3.16, RPG: 1.17, AssPG: 1.00) was excellent from deep at 4/7. BSM shot a good 82% on free throws.
(AI generated)