T71 Dudelange edged BBC East Side Pirates 80-76 in Berbourg, overturning a 13-point second-half deficit with a composed final quarter. It's a repeat result of their Phase 1 meeting (74-57), and this win lifts T71 to 2nd place (+1) in the Phase finale table, while BEP stay 6th at 0-3.
Game evolution
- Q1: T71 raced to 16-24 on the back of Noah Baseggio and Ben Stork before Stefan Jankovic closed the period with 8 straight points (a 3, a 2 and another 3) to level it at 24-24.
- Q2: Emil Denter took over, stringing free throws and mid-range finishes as BEP built a 44-39 halftime lead.
- Q3: BEP surged to the game's largest margin, 57-44, behind Denter and Jankovic. T71 responded with Ben Kloos's steady scoring and a Stork triple to trim it to 65-62.
- Q4: At 72-68 for BEP, an unsportsmanlike on Jankovic shifted momentum. Pol Guedes sank free throws, Kloos tied it (72-72) and edged T71 ahead from the line. After Petar Jankovic briefly restored BEP's lead, Guedes hit a key three (74-76), added a tough two (76-78) and Ivan Barbic (HRV, 13) sealed it at 76-80. From 72-68, T71 closed on a 12-4 run.
Top performers
- BEP: Emil Denter (Season PPG: 26.20) poured in 34 (15 twos, 4 from the line). The 13-year-old led multiple BEP runs. Stefan Jankovic (Season PPG: 20.08) added 28 with four triples and a string of timely buckets to end Q1. Nicolas Nestgen (Season PPG: 19.23) chipped in 9.
- T71: Noah Baseggio (Season PPG: 14.09) scored 19 (7 twos, 1 three, 2 FT). Captain Ben Kloos (Season PPG: 13.64) had 18, living at the line in key moments. Pol Guedes (Season PPG: 11.07) delivered 11, including 6 in the decisive stretch, and Ben Stork (Season PPG: 6.92) hit a vital third-quarter three; Barbic added 8, including the final basket.
Coaching notes
Gilles Poos's BEP built advantages through Denter's interior efficiency and Jankovic's shot-making, but Daniel Wolf's T71 managed the fourth quarter better, capitalizing on the momentum swing after the U2 and spreading responsibility among multiple scorers.
(AI generated)