First-placed BC Mess won a close one in Mersch, 79-76, and stretched its winning streak to eight games. Black Star Mersch, now 4th after a one-place gain, controlled the opening phase under coach Jérôme Hansen and built the game's biggest lead at 23-11 after the first quarter.
BSM started with good rhythm from captain Trey Sean Boayue (Season PPG: 24.67) and Leandro Da Silva Nunes (Season PPG: 11.00), but Da Silva Nunes also picked up two fouls in the first quarter. Mess reacted well in the second: after trailing 24-13, the visitors worked back, and an 8-0 run changed 28-23 into 28-31. Mersch answered with a 10-2 push to 38-33, yet BC Mess closed the half with the last 3 points and stayed very close at 38-36.
The third quarter decided much of the momentum. At 52-50 for BSM, Boayue's unsportsmanlike foul was a turning point in the flow, and Mess produced an 8-0 run to 58-52 before taking a 62-59 lead into the last period. Coach Joao Carlos Santiago Janeiro then saw his team stay calm in the decisive minutes.
BSM tied the game at 69-69 and even moved ahead 72-69 on Rui Dias dos Santos' three. Mess answered immediately. André Cristostomo Ribeiro (Season PPG: 9.50) hit the go-ahead three for 75-74, and Jamie Freymann (Season PPG: 19.17) finished strongly with 6 straight points for the visitors from 72-71 to 79-75.
Freymann was the main difference with 29 points. Ribeiro added 20, and Pedrito Kemevuako, a 17-year-old 1.80m guard from Angola, scored 13 without committing a foul. For BSM, Boayue had 17, Da Silva Nunes 14 before fouling out, Sam Tibold (Season PPG: 24.11) 13, and Alvyn Madoki Bigas (Season PPG: 6.00) 12. BC Mess also completed a 3-0 season sweep over Black Star Mersch.
(AI generated)