Basket Esch won a close phase-finale game in Mersch, 74-71, and completed a two-game season sweep against Black Star Mersch after the earlier 82-78 result. In the standings, Esch remains 3rd at 6-4, while Mersch is 4th at 3-7 despite gaining one place.
The game opened at a high pace. Esch led 32-30 after the first quarter, largely because Emmanuel Jesus Frederico (Season PPG: 15.82) exploded for 15 first-quarter points and scored his team's first 10 in a row. Esch also had a 10-2 run to move from 15-15 to 25-17, but Mersch answered well and cut it back to two by the break in the period. The second quarter was the opposite: only 7 total points, and Esch took a 36-33 halftime lead.
Mersch reacted strongly after the pause. Sam Tibold (Season PPG: 24.75) and Trey Sean Boayue (Season PPG: 23.75) kept Black Star in contact, and the hosts briefly drew level at 41-41. Esch answered with another sharp sequence, pushing the margin back to eight, their highest lead. In the last quarter, Jérôme Hansen's team kept coming: Leandro Da Silva Nunes (Season PPG: 11.50) hit from outside and then tied the tension late with two free throws for 71-72. Esch stayed calmer on the final possessions, and Jamie Zuang closed it from the line.
Tibold led BSM with 23 points, Boayue added 18, and Da Silva Nunes had 14. For Esch, Jesus Frederico finished with 18 points before being disqualified after a second U2 in the fourth quarter. Benjamin Muller (Season PPG: 12.82) added 12, Melvin Pereira Furtado scored 11, and Zuang delivered 9, including the last two points of the game.
(AI generated)