Basket Esch edged Musel Pikes 67-64 at the Avanti Mondorf tournament in a tight game decided at the line. After a balanced first quarter (18-18), Esch created separation in Q2 behind a burst from Quinten Nelson (18) who strung together a 2 and a 3 to build a 36-32 halftime lead. Early in Q3, Dino Ceman hit a three and Jordan Hicks (35, 2.01m, USA) added another from deep for the first double-digit gap (42-32). Pikes answered through Konan Boglin Oth (11) and Maurice Gordon (25, USA), but Corentin Vincent Cornu (15) twice connected from long range to keep Esch up 55-48 after three.
Esch pushed the margin to a game-high +13 at 61-48 in Q4, only for Pikes to fire back with a 12-0 run: Esosa Kelvin Okundaye (18) drilled back-to-back threes and Gordon scored at the rim and from the line. Pikes even led 64-62 after two Okundaye free throws. Nelson tied it, and Cornu calmly knocked down three consecutive free throws to seal it at 67-64.
Top performers Esch: Hicks 18, Nelson 18, Cornu 15; Emmanuel Jesus Frederico added 8. Pikes: Gordon 20 led the charge, Okundaye 18, Oth 11, Gilles Kerschen 8. Ceman navigated late with four fouls, as did Okundaye for Pikes. Coaches Franck Meriguet and Brian Walker Carroll traded timely timeouts during the decisive fourth-quarter swings.
(AI generated)