BBC East Side Pirates overpowered Black Star Mersch 100-81 in Mersch to reach the Coupe de l'Avenir semifinals, overturning a 12-point first-quarter deficit with a dominant middle stretch.
BSM flew out 33-21 after 10 minutes, fueled by the hot hand of Mike Göhlhausen (BSM), who buried two early triples and set the tone. The Pirates slowly steadied in the second quarter: captain Sam Schaeffer (BEP), 15 years old, kept scoring at all three levels, while Emil Denter (BEP) added timely baskets. A late 6-0 spurt flipped the game to 49-47 for BEP at halftime, moments after Alvyn Madoki Bigas (BSM) picked up a technical.
The third quarter was the turning point. After Madoki Bigas briefly nudged BSM ahead with a triple (50-49), BEP unleashed a 14-2 run: Schaeffer hit back-to-back threes, Matteo Weydert (BEP) and Sean Harmelin Dostert (BEP) kept pressure on the rim, and Dany Toth Gomes (BEP) chipped in. BSM's bench turbulence showed as coach Aleksandar Petrovic received a technical, and Madoki Bigas, a 15-year-old Spaniard, piled up fouls and eventually fouled out late in the third an evident blow. The Pirates' lead peaked at 21 points late in the period, and they managed the gap to the buzzer, helped by a late unsportsmanlike on BSM.
Top performers:
- BEP: Schaeffer (27) led a balanced unit with Denter (14), Harmelin Dostert (14), Toth Gomes (13) and Weydert (12) all in double figures; Mil Boby (9) added punch.
- BSM: Göhlhausen (35) was prolific throughout; Rolando Charle Nienaber Mendes (BSM) added 19, and Madoki Bigas (21) was impactful before foul trouble.
Coach Aziz Ndiaye's Pirates controlled quarters two and three (28-14, 33-16) and closed it out at the line to book their place in the last four.
(AI generated)