Black Star Mersch overpowered Bascharage Hedgehogs 86-61 in the Coupe des Jeunes 1/8 finales in Bascharage, building the win on a dominant first and third quarter.
Game evolution
After a 7-7 start, BSM delivered a 13-0 run to 7-20, with captain Trey Sean Boayue (BSM) relentlessly attacking the rim and Leandro Da Silva Nunes (BSM) adding mid-range finishes. Chris Jay Reding (17, 1.83m) beat the buzzer from deep for 10-20 after 10 minutes. Bascharage reacted in the second period: captain Kodjovi Armel Yohann Koutsawa (BAS) strung together several free throws and added two baskets, while Mateo Bogatu (BAS) and Viktor Pecirep (BAS) chipped in to take the quarter 24-19 and trim the gap to 34-39 at halftime.
The turning point came right after the break. Nunes opened with a three and BSM uncorked a 2-18 surge to 36-57, fueled by back-to-back trips to the line from Boayue and transition finishes from Raphael Solomon (16, PHL). An unsportsmanlike foul on Ilija Mihailovic (BAS) in the third quarter did not help the hosts' momentum. BSM won the period 23-8 for a 42-62 lead after 30 minutes. In the fourth, BSM managed the pace and stretched the advantage to a highest lead of plus-27 at 59-86 before closing at 61-86.
Top performers
- BSM: Boayue (29 pts) was the reference inside, stacking 12 two-point field goals and 5 free throws. Nunes (22 pts) mixed a three with steady drives. Solomon (11 pts), Luis Henrique Duarte Almeida Evora (BSM, 11 pts) and Sam Tibold (BSM, 10 pts, reliable from the line) rounded out five double-figure scorers.
- BAS: Koutsawa (16 pts) led from the front; Mihailovic (11 pts) hit from outside and late in the fourth; Bogatu (10 pts) added range; Pecirep (9 pts) worked his way into the game.
Discipline and context
No player fouled out, though several finished on four fouls. Reding picked up three quick personals in the first quarter. Coaching-wise, Jerome Hansen's group imposed its rhythm early and again after halftime, while Veljko Dragasevic's team fought back in the second quarter but could not weather the third-quarter run.
(AI generated)