Black Star Mersch overturned a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Grngewald Hueschtert 76-61 in Mersch, riding a dominant second half and a decisive third-quarter surge. The visitors led 15-16 after the first stanza and stretched it to 31-38 at the break behind steady scoring from Max Frederik Hessz (21, 1.88 m, DEU) and Nicolas Saquan Parrish (Season PPG: 11.2).
Rainer Kloss's team changed the tone after halftime. Down 39-46 midway through the third, Black Star pieced together a 12-0 run: Romain Dieterlen (Season PPG: 6.0) cooled nerves with free throws, and the 23-year-old American Donte Bezel Pope (BSM) then poured in three straight baskets to flip the lead, before Kevin Sarlette (Season PPG: 12.4) and Pope pushed it to 51-46. The quarter ended 57-53, and the hosts kept their foot down with a 19-8 fourth.
Pope was unstoppable inside, finishing with 36 points, including 14 made two-pointers and 8 free throws. He also scored in bursts, opening the fourth with back-to-back baskets and later adding late free throws to seal the largest lead of the night at +15. Desean Hampton (Season PPG: 15.8) added 15 and hit Black Star's lone three-pointer, while Dieterlen's 10 came largely from the line at key moments.
For Ricky Easterling's side, Hessz led with 14, Parrish had 13, and Dareial Corrione Franklin (Season PPG: 25.0) was held to 12 in a physical affair. Center Laurent Majerus (Season PPG: 8.8; 2.04 m) fouled out in the final quarter, a blow to Grngewald's interior resistance just as Black Star's frontcourt took control.
Team tendencies told the story: Black Star amassed 54 points from two-point range and needed only one triple, while Grngewald's 18 points from beyond the arc were not enough to withstand the hosts' second-half pressure.
Black Star improves to 4-1 and jumps to 3rd in the standings (+3), while Grngewald sits 7th at 1-4, now on a four-game skid.
(AI generated)