BC Mess won 70-54 in Heffingen and moved to the top of the M-U18 Division 2 Phase finale table, gaining one place to rank 1. US Heffingen stayed 6th and is still looking for a first win in this phase.
José Alberto Pais Costa's team began well. Heffingen took the first quarter 17-12, with Nils Rock (Season PPG: 14.81) and captain Ethan Steinmetz, the 18-year-old 1.78m guard (Season PPG: 12.73), setting the tone. Rock scored 9 points in the opening period and Heffingen reached its best moment at 17-12.
Mess reacted strongly in the second quarter. Jamie Freymann, the 18-year-old captain and 1.80m guard/forward (Season PPG: 19.40), scored repeatedly inside and from the line, while Pedrito Kemevuako, an 18-year-old 1.80m guard from Angola (Season PPG: 19.95), added important points. The visitors won the quarter 21-13 and turned a 19-12 deficit into a 33-30 halftime lead.
The game stayed balanced in the third. Heffingen answered through Rock and Steinmetz, and Pietro Laforgia's three-pointer helped the home side edge back in front 48-46 after 30 minutes. At that stage, the game was fully open.
The decisive stretch came immediately in the fourth. Freymann scored 5 points in a row to start a 7-0 Mess run for 53-48. After Heffingen cut it to 50-55, Mess closed with a 15-4 surge. André Cristostomo Ribeiro, 17, from Portugal (Season PPG: 10.00), was decisive in that span with outside shooting and strong finishing.
Mess's trio made the difference: Freymann 25, Kemevuako 21 and Cristostomo Ribeiro 20, or 66 of the team's 70 points. For Heffingen, Rock finished with 21, Steinmetz 18 and Tun Elcheroth (Season PPG: 6.47) added 9.
(AI generated)