League leaders Mambra Mamer B won a close road game at Kordall Steelers B, 78-70, and stayed first in M-Division 2. KDSB, now on a three-game losing streak, still moved up two places to sixth. MAMB extended its run to five straight wins and is now 2-0 against KDSB this season after the earlier forfeit result.
Coach Pierre Flavien Hebbert's team set the tone early. KDSB briefly led 7-4, but MAMB reacted well and finished the first quarter ahead 24-16. The visitors then built the biggest lead of the night in the second period at 37-23. Luc Decker and Scharel Geimer were important in that phase, while KDSB struggled to slow the tempo. A late push reduced the gap to 28-37 at the break.
The third quarter brought KDSB back into the game. After Xavier Loizeau pushed MAMB to 40-28, coach Antonio Alexandre Bento Dos Reis Pires got a strong answer from Steve Kuhlmann (35, 1.92m), Ermin Babic (Season PPG: 20.70) and Noah Zucca (Season PPG: 16.50). KDSB scored 27 points in the quarter and cut the margin to 55-59. MAMB's answer was immediate, with Decker hitting a late three for 62-55.
That sequence mattered. Decker then opened the fourth with four straight points, and MAMB rebuilt a double-digit margin, twice reaching +14. KDSB still stayed alive and came back to 70-76 after consecutive baskets from Kuhlmann and Babic, but Decker scored again to close the key possession.
Kuhlmann led all scorers with 32 points, including seven three-pointers. Babic added 18 and Zucca 13. For MAMB, Decker had 19, Christophe Ney (Season PPG: 11.39) scored 16 before fouling out in the fourth, Loizeau added 13, Geimer 12, and captain Jannik Tuffel 9 without committing a foul. Another early detail: Elhan Hadzajlic picked up three fouls in a row in the first quarter, which reduced KDSB's options.
(AI generated)