Etzella Ettelbruck opened the M-U18 Division 1 Phase 2 with a 63-54 win over BC Mess at deichwisen/central, built on a strong start and a decisive third quarter. Etzella raced to 7-0 and led 19-13 after 10 minutes. Mess tightened the screws in the second quarter, trimming the gap to 30-26 at the break.
The game turned after halftime. From 32-28, Etzella strung together an 8-0 burst to 40-28, with Marvin Delgado dos Santos (Season PPG: 26.67) hitting three straight baskets. The hosts kept rolling to 53-36 after three, then a Charel Wilmes three made it 56-36 early in the fourth the largest lead at +20.
BC Mess responded behind Leis Sabotic (17 years, 1.88m), who poured in 17 points in the final quarter, including two triples, to cut it to 61-52. But an unsportsmanlike foul on Yann Krings with the clock running down stalled the chase, and Delgado dos Santos calmly knocked down both free throws for 63-52. Etzella managed the endgame despite Lenny Lopes Morais (Season PPG: 13.67) fouling out in the fourth.
Top performers
- Etzella: Delgado dos Santos 27, relentless in the third; captain Noah Wolter (Season PPG: 15.67) 16, including a late three; Lopes Morais 11; Gilles Schock added a timely third-quarter triple.
- BC Mess: Sabotic 22 (Season PPG: 25.50), the engine of the late push; Krings 15 (Season PPG: 10.83) with seven made free throws; Jamie Freymann 5 (Season PPG: 16.50).
Coach Nelson Delgado's side controlled the tempo out of halftime and answered every push. Coach Joao Carlos Santiago Janeiro's team showed resilience, but the gap built in the third quarter proved decisive. In the new classification, Etzella sit 1st, Mess 2nd. Etzella have now won five of their last six; Mess's two-game streak ended here.
(AI generated)