BC Mess edged Basket Esch B, 68-66, in a tense M-U16 Division 4 Phase 2 contest at esch/ho1. Esch, under coach Stéphane Feller, controlled the first half with a 19-14 opening quarter and a 36-29 lead at the break, fueled by the efficient scoring of Chimezie Samuel Dialo (Season PPG: 12.14), who piled up 14 by halftime. Early in the third Esch produced a 6-0 run to 42-35, but Mess, coached by Fernand Musquar, answered through Théo Bakija (Season PPG: 13.33) and the energetic 13-year-old Nils Müller (17 points), trimming it to 53-50 after Müller's three to close the period.
The fourth quarter flipped the script. Rafael Da Fonseca Rocha strung together three straight points to knot it at 53-53, and despite a timely Colin Ral Schneider triple that pushed Esch ahead 64-61, Mess closed on a decisive 7-2 run. Maxime Tilly tied it, Müller put Mess in front 66-64, and after two late free throws by Amir Hamza for 66-67, Müller calmly added the winning point from the line for 66-68. It was Mess's first lead of the night, arriving deep in the fourth.
Foul trouble weighed heavily. Esch's captain Edwin Pereira Furtado (Season PPG: 12.44) fouled out in the closing stretch, while Mess lost both Bakija (13) and Roan Musquar (9) before the finish, yet held their nerve.
Top performers:
- Esch: Dialo 19, Amilcar André Rodrigues Moreira (14, PRT) 13, Pereira Furtado 10, Hamza 7, with Schneider's clutch three late.
- Mess: Müller (13) 17, Bakija 13, Da Fonseca Rocha (Season PPG: 3.86) 9, Musquar (Season PPG: 7.50) 9, Tilly 6.
In the standings, Esch remain leaders at 3-1, while Mess climb to third at 2-2. After a run of losses earlier in the phase, this is a valuable win for Mess and their second success in the last three.
(AI generated)