BBC Dikrich edged Black Frogs Schieren B 79-75 in Diekirch to open the Relégation round-robin, reversing the season's trend after the Frogs had won the two qualifiers (75-54, 85-59).
The first half was balanced (24-21; 20-18), with Dikrich up 44-39 at the break. After halftime, coach Endrit Shala's team broke the game open: a burst of perimeter scoring Kevin John Gillen, Justin Tram and Joel Leite Delgado all from deep pushed the lead to 63-48 and eventually to the night's high at 75-57 early in the fourth.
Coach Bob Hirt's side then roared back with a 16-0 run: Jerry Valente and Max Brouscher scored inside, Hirt added a three and trips to the line, and Tim Ittenbach strung together five quick points, trimming it to 75-73. In the clutch, captain Edson Monteiro Neves (26, PRT) steadied Dikrich. He hit eight free throws in the fourth and scored the team's final four points, closing it out.
Monteiro Neves (Season PPG: 15.42) led all scorers with 23, built on 6 two-pointers and 11 free throws. Tram (Season PPG: 6.93) added 16 with three triples; Leite Delgado (Season PPG: 6.57) chipped 12, Gillen 9, and 17-year-old David Dakeu Ngaha contributed 8. Dikrich finished with 7 threes and 22 made twos.
For the Frogs, Brouscher (Season PPG: 12.17) had 17, living at the stripe (7 FTs). Ittenbach (Season PPG: 7.50) and Bob Hirt (Season PPG: 5.81) scored 13 apiece Hirt's late three and free throws powered the comeback while Valente added 11 and Nick Hirt 9. Schieren's 20 made free throws kept them within striking distance in the final minutes.
After two straight defeats, Dikrich finally grabbed one and climb to 5th (6-9). Black Frogs stay 2nd at 8-7. In a close finish, Monteiro Neves was the game winner at the line.
(AI generated)