Staater Léiwen edged BNP Parisbas 61-52 in Lux-Gare after a strong fourth-quarter swing. SLW led 11-7 after the first quarter and 24-21 at halftime, but BNP flipped momentum late in the third, closing the period on a 5-0 burst to lead 41-38.
Coach Dan Mathes' side regrouped. Early in the fourth, Gilles Hirtz (SLW) tied it from the line, Louis Meyer (SLW) buried a three for 44-41, and SLW never trailed again. The key stretch came midway through the quarter: Sven Bartholomey (SLW) hit a three and followed with a layup for five straight points, pushing the gap to 57-47 the game's largest lead (+10). Bartholomey then sealed it with four late free throws. SLW took the final quarter 23-11.
Top contributors for the winners: Bartholomey (SLW) led all scorers with 19 points, including 10 made free throws; Hirtz added 15 and repeatedly scored in the paint; Meyer chipped in 13 with three triples, while Keven Reuland (SLW) provided 9. For BNP, Gautier Marcoux (BNP) and Mohamed Cheikhrouhou (BNP) had 10 apiece, Maxime Detourbe (BNP) 8, and both Chris King (BNP) and Samuel Tchantio Kombiwo (BNP) 7. Foul trouble hurt BNP late: both Marcoux and Cheikhrouhou fouled out in the fourth. On the SLW side, Laurent Ley picked up three fouls in the second quarter, forcing early adjustments.
Game flow notes: BNP's best spell came to end Q3 (0-5 run). SLW closed from 37-41 down with a 24-11 finish. Bartholomey scored five in a row during the decisive surge and hit the team's final four points at the line. Coach Armel Milongo's group stayed in touch until the last minutes, but SLW's late composure and free-throw production decided a tight contest.
(AI generated)
Staater Léiwen