Black Star Mersch (BSM) controlled Avanti Mondorf (MON) 89-57 in Mersch, building the win through a dominant start and a strong finish. The hosts opened 9-0 and led 26-9 after ten minutes, with Donte Bezel Pope (23, USA) piling up early points from the line and around the rim, and Felix Urwald striking from deep. By halftime it was 46-22, Rainer Kloss's team in full control.
Mondorf's best spell came after the break. From 58-26, the visitors ripped a 13-0 run to 58-39, driven by Tim Bartholomey (25, 1.93m) hitting from three, Uzziah Khalil Dawkins (25, USA) in transition and Joseph Daniel Reuter around the basket. MON won the third 23-16 and briefly put pressure on the game's rhythm. But Kevin Sarlette (28, 1.86m, BEL) opened the fourth quarter with six straight points, and a bench technical on coach Philip David Dejworek arrived as BSM reasserted control. Pope and Desean Hampton (26, USA) kept punishing inside, Norman Kloss added a timely three, and Paulo Dos Reis Fernandes buried a late triple to push the largest lead to 34 (89-55) before the final 89-57.
Top scorers BSM: Pope 30, Hampton 20, Sarlette 16, Urwald (20, 1.80m) 10; Kloss 5 with a fourth-quarter three. For MON: Dawkins 17, Reuter 11, Tim Bartholomey 13, Joël Wealer 6, Sven Bartholomey 6. Foul trouble hurt the visitors: Tim Bartholomey and Foni Mertens (20, 1.82m) both fouled out during the comeback phase.
Game evolution: 26-9, 20-13, 16-23, 27-12. Black Star started 9-0, Mondorf answered with a 13-0 burst in the third, and BSM closed on a 27-12 final quarter. In the standings, Black Star move to 3-0 and sit 2nd (ranking -1 since last round), while Mondorf drop to 0-3 in 8th. BSM have started with three straight wins; MON are on a three-game slide.
(AI generated)