Musel Pikes edged Etzella Ettelbruck 87-85 at deichwisen/central in a back-and-forth MU22 Qualifications clash decided in the final minute.
Game evolution
- Q1: MUS jumped out 27-19, building the first doubledigit gap at 11-21 off Konan Boglin Oth's early burst and perimeter makes from Enzo Sanna and Marko Mustafic.
- Q2: ETZ answered with a 13-3 spell to 32-32 and trailed just 42-43 at halftime.
- Q3: With Sam Schaaf and Lou Clees driving the offense, ETZ took control, 69-65.
- Q4: ETZ stretched the lead to 77-68 and then 79-70, their largest margin (+9). A MUS timeout sparked the turnaround: Oth reeled off backtoback baskets to tie it 81-81, Schaaf briefly restored ETZ's edge (83-81), but Mustafic and Oth flipped it again. Oth's goahead at 85-86 was followed by David Ferreira (Season PPG: 7.8) coolly adding the final point for 85-87. MUS closed on a 17-6 run from 79-70 (19-8 from 77-68). MUS also held the game's biggest firstquarter lead (+10).
Top performers
- Etzella: Sam Schaaf (26, 1.92m) powered the hosts, especially through the third quarter. Marvin Delgado dos Santos (19, 1.90m) added 19 and hit a timely three after the break. Lou Clees (16, 1.89m) mixed outside shooting with aggression despite finishing on four fouls, while Hakim Baba (10, 19 years, Italy) chipped in important midrange scores early in the fourth.
- Musel Pikes: Konan Boglin Oth (28, 1.90m, North Macedonia) was decisive throughout and delivered the late goahead. Jason Hartz (Season PPG: 19.33) netted 15 and played through foul trouble (four), Sanna (Season PPG: 11.33) added 10 from deep, and Mustafic (13, 1.88m, Croatia) was pivotal in crunch time.
Notable sequences and trends
- Oth scored four in a row during the comeback; Mustafic produced five of MUS's late points around the 3minute mark.
- Baba committed three consecutive personal fouls in the fourth, coinciding with ETZ's stalled momentum.
Coaches and context
Coach Adrien Frédérique Jacquet's timeout in the third minute of Q4 preceded the decisive MUS surge. Gavin Alexander Love's team couldn't protect a ninepoint cushion down the stretch.
Standings and form
MUS remain top of the table at 42 and are on a threegame winning streak. ETZ sit 8th at 22.
(AI generated)