BBC East Side Pirates opened Phase 2 with a 72-58 road win at esch/ho4, climbing to first place (+2), while Basket Esch dropped to fourth (-3). The hosts started better (13-10 after the first), but the game flipped in the second quarter: BEP strung together a 14-0 run with Emil Denter, Nicolas Nestgen and the Jankovic brothers fueling a 24-15 lead. Coach Raouf Riahi's timeout steadied Esch, who answered with an 11-0 surge to reach halftime at 28-31.
Coach Gilles Poos' side then seized control right out of the locker room. The Pirates opened the third with a 12-0 burst, capped by a Stefan Jankovic three for 28-43, and pushed the gap to a highest lead of 18. Esch briefly rallied Arthur Léo Pierre Colle's three in the fourth cut it to 54-65 but Denter kept BEP clear down the stretch.
Top performers
- BEP: Emil Denter (26; Season PPG: 26.67) was relentless across quarters; Nicolas Nestgen (19; Season PPG: 14.33) hit timely threes and late free throws; Stefan Jankovic (13, 12, SRB; Season PPG: 17.67) added a momentum-shifting triple.
- Basket Esch: Rodrigo Pacheco Reis (27, 13, PRT; Season PPG: 19.14) carried the offense; Colle (11; Season PPG: 13.67) contributed two threes; Lyan Gomes da Cruz (10; Season PPG: 5.50) and Nohan Fernandes Semedo (8; Season PPG: 2.67) supported.
Notable sequences: BEP's 14-0 in Q2 and 12-0 to start Q3; Esch's 11-0 to close the first half. Early foul trouble mattered for Esch Fernandes Semedo committed two quick fouls in the first quarter while Pirates converted steady fourth-quarter free throws to maintain control. BEP are now on a two-game winning streak after four straight losses.
(AI generated)