BBC East Side Pirates controlled Black Star Mersch 54-34 in Berbourg to open the Phase finale with authority. The game evolved steadily in the Pirates' favor: a 4-0 start was briefly overturned when Ylan Madoki Bigas (Season PPG: 20.89; 14, BEL) poured in five straight points for BSM to lead 5-4, but BEP closed the first quarter 10-7 and never trailed again. In the second, Demir Eco (Season PPG: 8.00) and Tim Konstantin Focht (Season PPG: 3.20; 13) pushed the gap to 18-11 before halftime arrived at 20-14.
Ben Pallmer's back-to-back baskets early in the third stretched it to 30-18, and the Pirates entered the fourth up 34-25. The decisive blow came right after the break: an 8-0 run to 42-25, fueled by Eco and Focht, broke BSM's resistance. The hosts reached their largest lead at +21 (54-33) before closing it out.
Focht led BEP with 16 points, all from inside the arc (eight 2s), while Eco added 14 (six 2s, two free throws). Edgar Charles Matti Ney (Season PPG: 2.08) chipped in 6, and Ben Pol Mike Szymczak (Season PPG: 4.38) contributed 4 including two free throws. Notably, neither team converted a three-pointer; the Pirates' edge came from consistent two-point scoring waves.
For Black Star, Madoki Bigas topped all scorers with 16 and sparked BSM early, but foul trouble mounted two quick infractions in the second period and he fouled out late in the fourth, a pivotal loss for coach Aleksandar Petrovic's side. Denis Notarnicola (Season PPG: 11.13) and Luca Donini (Season PPG: 8.50) added 7 apiece.
Coach Gilles Poos' Pirates extend their winning streak to seven, moving to 2nd in the Phase finale standings (+2), while BSM slips to 3rd (-1) and remains on a four-game skid.
(AI generated)