Basket Esch C overpowered Rebound Préizerdaul 68-18 in the Phase finale opener, reversing November's 40-47 loss to the same opponent with an emphatic display built on defense and paint scoring. The first quarter stayed competitive (18-12), but Coach Hamid Ait-Mesbah's team tightened the screws thereafter, allowing just 6 points in the second half and closing with a 20-0 fourth quarter.
All points in the game came from two-pointers: Esch scored 34 field goals inside the arc, Préizerdaul 9, with no free throws or threes converted. The hosts' decisive surge arrived after halftime. Berin Hajdarpasic (Season PPG: 12.69) strung together a personal 6-0 to start Q3 and poured in 12 of Esch's 18 in the period, repeatedly breaking free in transition and on straight-line drives. The final stanza was a shared effort eight different Esch players scored as the lead stretched to a game-high +50 at the buzzer.
Esch's scoring was led by the 13-year-old finisher Hajdarpasic (28), supported by Gabriel Stefan Kühne Meza (Season PPG: 8.77) with 8, Bryan Felipe Semedo Tavares (LALC) with 10, plus Telmo Moreira Matias (LALC) and Théo Brohez (LALC) at 6 each. Leonardo Leoci (Season PPG: 3.2) added timely baskets. Préizerdaul's best moments came early through Stella Fantini (Season PPG: 4.0) and Baptiste Faconnet Massi, an 11-year-old from France, both scoring 6, with Jaylen Joseph Simoes Marbes (Season PPG: 6.8) adding 4. Faconnet Massi picked up two quick first-quarter fouls, nudging the visitors toward a cautious rotation under Coach Datan Oliveira Mendes.
Esch move to first in the new classification, while Préizerdaul sit fourth. The form lines reflect trends: Esch are on a two-game winning run; Préizerdaul have dropped four straight.
(AI generated)