Ninth-placed Kordall Steelers controlled most of the road game against fifth-placed Basket Esch and won 91-73, ending Esch's four-game winning streak. The first quarter stayed competitive: Esch led 10-9 and 12-11, but Kordall closed the period better and went up 28-23.
The key stretch came early in the second quarter. Basket Esch cut the gap to 28-30, then Kordall answered with a strong 19-8 phase to reach 49-36 at halftime. Jalen Alan Reynolds (26, 1.98m, USA) was central in that sequence, and the visitors kept their rhythm after the break. In the third quarter, Kordall pushed the margin to 15 points several times and entered the last period ahead 71-56.
Esch tried to react through Jordan Hicks (Season PPG: 15.06, RPG: 5.50, AssPG: 1.50) and Quinten Gregory Dee Nelson (Season PPG: 21.32, RPG: 5.43, AssPG: 4.05). Hicks finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds and excellent 4/4 free throws, while Nelson added 23 points with good all-around shooting: 6/7 FT, 4/7 from 2 and 3/8 from 3. But Kordall answered every push. After Esch reduced the score to 61-73, Steve Kuhlmann hit back-to-back threes, and Kordall later closed the game on a 7-0 run from 84-73 to 91-73.
Antonio Bento dos Reis Pires got major production from Reynolds, the game MVP with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 10/11 from 2-point range, and from Erik Thomas Timko (Season PPG: 28.89, RPG: 6.55, AssPG: 1.73), who scored 28 points with 7/8 from 2 and 4 steals. Robertas Jonaitis (Season PPG: 23.00, RPG: 9.54, AssPG: 1.33) added 15 points and 8 rebounds, while Gianluca Pellegrino Ombroni delivered 11 points and 7 assists.
Statistically, Kordall made the difference inside with an excellent 28/39 on 2-pointers (72%), while Esch was solid only at the line with a good 16/19 (84.2%).
(AI generated)