Black Star Mersch overpowered Nitia Bettembourg 113-69 in the M-Nationale 2 qualification round in Bettembourg, repeating September's 96-51 result. Coach Goran Lukic's team decided it early with a 40-10 first quarter, built on an 18-0 burst from 3-6 to 3-24, with Donte Bezel Pope and Desean Hampton setting the tone and Dean Gindt adding a quick triple. Nitia reacted in the second (27-23) through Mathieu Ercolani and Owen Chen, but BSM reasserted control after halftime (14-29 in Q3). The lead peaked at +47 (64-111) in the fourth before the final buzzer.
Black Star's efficiency was steady across all levels: 85% at the line (22/26), 63% on twos (32/51) and 36% from three (9/25) all good by the given standard. Nitia finished at 65% on twos but struggled at the stripe (53%) and beyond the arc (28%).
Top performers, non-domestic: Hampton (Season PPG: 19.45, RPG: 11.0, AssPG: 3.33) authored a dominant 28-point, 12/14 FG night with double-digit boards, earning MVP. Pope (Season PPG: 33.0, RPG: 7.6, AssPG: 2.6) added 29 points with 6/6 FT and 10/14 2P. Kevin Sarlette (Season PPG: 10.38, RPG: 5.0, AssPG: 2.5) chipped in 9 points and timely shooting. Among locals, Gindt (34, 2.01m) poured in 23 points, including three threes and 8/10 FT, and Norman Kloss contributed 10.
For Nitia, Ercolani (Season PPG: 5.10, RPG: 2.94) led with 16 points on 6/8 2P and 4/6 FT, plus 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Daniel Prior Torralba (Season PPG: 4.27) hit two threes for 10 points, and Louis-Stéphane Lobe Lobas (Season PPG: 9.90, RPG: 13.11) added 7. Badara Seck Faye fouled out, thinning Nitia's interior rotation, while Chen, 19, contributed 8.
Black Star's passing (30 team assists) and pressure (11 steals, just 8 turnovers) framed the night. Nitia's series of losses continues, while Black Star's superior firepower supported by two professional players versus none for Nitia showed across the game's key stretches.
(AI generated)