AB Contern outlasted BBC East Side Pirates 97-87 in the M-U14 Division 1 Phase finale at Contern/Central, overturning an early 15-point deficit with a sustained middle-game surge. Pirates burst to 27-12 in the first quarter and led 29-21 after 10 minutes, driven by captain Emil Denter and the perimeter of Nicolas Nestgen, plus points from the line after a U1 on Contern's Colin Dumont Zimmer. Contern answered with a 26-17 second quarter to edge ahead 47-46 at halftime, largely on the back of Max Muller's shot-making.
The third quarter proved decisive: Contern exploded for 33 points, with threes from Muller, Maxime Daems and Felix Zoller, and a 7-0 spurt (Hoffmann-Bevilacqua-Daems) pushing the gap to 67-61 before closing the period up 80-72. Pirates rallied early in the fourth as Denter scored twice to cut it to 82-76, but after a timeout Muller drilled a timely three for 85-76. Despite an unsportsmanlike U2 on Lex Chiarandini and the foul-out of Samuel Bevilacqua, Contern managed the finish, keeping a two-possession cushion that grew to 10. Highest leads: BEP +15 (Q1), CON +10 (late).
Muller (58 pts; Season PPG: 37.46) was the game winner, relentless from deep and in transition. Support came from Gabriel Rasque Schmitt (11; Season PPG: 10.69), Zoller (9; Season PPG: 10.46) and Bevilacqua (9; Season PPG: 7.92). For Pirates, Denter (28; Season PPG: 25.33) and Nestgen (25; Season PPG: 20.08) carried the offense, with Stefan Jankovic adding 15 and 11-year-old Serbian guard Petar Jankovic contributing 11.
Coaches Jeff Bevilacqua (CON) and Gilles Poos (BEP) each leaned on their scorers, but Contern's third-quarter volume made the difference. Contern moves up to 3rd (+1) in the Phase finale standings, while Pirates sit 5th. Notably, Pirates had won the previous season meeting 76-68; Contern flipped the script here. Contern halts a four-game slide; Pirates are now on a three-game losing streak.
(AI generated)