BBC Dikrich left Holleschb2 with an 85-77 win over Telstar Hesperange, built on a strong start (22-18) and a solid second quarter (19-13) to lead 41-31 at halftime. Telstar reacted after the break: Jamie Kappler (Season PPG: 13.0) nailed the triple for 50-50 and the hosts tied again at 52 and 54. A key swing followed late in Q3 when Niccolo Spagnoletti (23, ITA) was whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul; Emerson Medina converted at the line and added a basket for 54-60.
Dikrich then struck early in Q4: Kevin John Gillen (DIE) opened with a three, and Edson Monteiro Neves (Season PPG: 18.2) followed with a 3+2 in a 10-3 burst to 57-70. The gap peaked at +17 (59-76) after another Monteiro Neves triple and a second Gillen three. Telstar's late push, fueled by Spagnoletti's three triples in the last period and Lorenzo Ferrari (28, ITA) at the line, trimmed it to single digits, but Dikrich managed the finish. A technical on Monteiro Neves in Q2 and, late, an unsportsmanlike on Amar Sijaric underlined a tense contest.
Top performers
- Dikrich core: Monteiro Neves 29, Medina (Season PPG: 18.7) 21; the 17-year-old Ewan Da Silva Jose (17) poured in 21, including an eight-point first-quarter run that set the tone. Support from Gillen's two fourth-quarter threes proved timely.
- Telstar leaders: Ferrari 27 and Spagnoletti 17 drove the offense; among the supporting group, Max Klepper (TEL) added 12 and Kappler 7, with the third-quarter equalizer.
Coach Endrit Shala's side climbs to 4th (+2) in the Tour qualificatif, now on back-to-back wins. Pit Meintz's Telstar sits 7th (+1) after another narrow chase from behind. Game evolution and late-game composure made the difference for the winners.
(AI generated)