Musel Pikes edged Arantia Larochette 83-82 after overtime in the M-U22 Qualifications, a comeback built on a late surge and sealed at the line by Jason Hartz (Season PPG: 20.2). Arantia controlled the first 30 minutes: a 14-0 run midway through Q2 blew the game open from 27-26 to 27-40, and Edson Rafael De Sousa Silva (18, 1.88m, Portugal) stretched the gap to a game-high +15 at 35-50 early in Q3. Arantia still led 61-50 entering the fourth.
Coach Adrien Frédérique Jacquet's side flipped the script with a 22-11 fourth quarter, fueled by Hartz's perimeter shot and David Ferreira Gordo (20, 1.88m, Portugal), who buried three triples in the period. Musel pieced together an 18-5 burst from 52-64 to 70-69; Arantia replied through De Sousa Silva's free throws for 72-70, before Ferreira Gordo tied it at 72-72 to force OT.
In overtime, Hartz drilled a three for 75-73, and Abram Macalou (MUS) scored on back-to-back drives for 79-77. De Sousa Silva answered with four straight free throws to 79-79. After Macalou converted two free throws (81-79), Maximilien Nuss hit a clutch three for 81-82. In the final moments, Hartz calmly sank two free throws for the winning 83-82.
Hartz finished with 22 and five made threes, while Marko Mustafic (20, 1.88m, Croatia) added 17 after a hot first quarter. Enzo Sanna (Season PPG: 11.6) had 11 despite foul trouble, and Ferreira Gordo chipped in 13. For Arantia, De Sousa Silva poured in 39 points, combining long-range bursts in Q2-Q3 with steady late free throws; Oleksandr Senchenko added 17 (multiple threes), Noé Tibold scored 14, and Nuss had 5 including the overtime triple.
Musel, now on back-to-back wins after two losses, jumps four places to 1st in the classification. Arantia's three-game winning run ends; they sit 3rd under coach Karolis Abramavicius.
(AI generated)