Basket Esch edged Entente RES AMI 57-51 in a tight M-U18 Division 1 game at esch/ho4, moving up to 2nd place (3-2, +1) while ERA stays 5th (1-4). The opening was balanced (13-13), then Esch built a 29-24 halftime lead. The third quarter swung back and forth: ERA briefly went ahead at 32-33 and 36-37, largely on the back of Nicolas Roque do Amaral (Season PPG: 24.40), before Esch closed the period up 42-40.
The key stretch came early in the fourth. Despite two quick fouls by Joshua Becker in a row, Esch pieced together a 6-0 run through Benjamin Muller (LAL), Melvin Pereira Furtado and Noah Kouamedjouo (Season PPG: 7.60) to open the largest gap of the night at 49-42. Roque do Amaral responded with seven consecutive points for ERA (two drives and a three) to cut it to 51-49. In the final minutes, the 2.00 m forward Emmanuel Jesus Frederico (Season PPG: 12.00, CPV) took over, scoring Esch's last six points to secure the win. That closing burst, plus Kouamedjouo's steady finishing, made the difference.
Scoring leaders
- Basket Esch: Kouamedjouo 15; Benjamin Muller (LAL) 12; Jamie Zuang (LAL) 10 with two threes; Emmanuel Jesus Frederico 10.
- ERA: Roque do Amaral 30; Riley Wohl (Season PPG: 9.33) 12; Tim Geisen (Season PPG: 11.20) 5.
Game evolution notes
- Highest lead: Esch +7 (49-42).
- Runs: Esch 6-0 to start the 4th-quarter breakaway; Roque do Amaral strung together ERA's next seven points to pull it back to a one-possession game.
- Fouls in a row: Becker committed two quick personals early in the fourth; no one fouled out.
Coaches Dejan Pavlovic (Esch) and Thorsten Freiheit (ERA) navigated a tactical, low-scoring affair where late-game execution decided the winner.
(AI generated)