Black Lions (BLD) controlled BBC BCEE (CEE) 83-65 in grimler, turning a four-point first-quarter deficit into a convincing win. After CEE led 19-15 at the first break helped by a quick 6-13 surge and steady scoring from Thierry Abdiu (CEE) the game swung early in the second. Olivier Summer (BLD) had closed Q1 with five straight points, and BLD opened Q2 with a 5-0 burst to take the lead. A later 8-2 stretch (from 24-23 to 32-25) forced a CEE timeout. A timely three by Nils Schroeder (BLD) and repeated inside finishes from Tom Schumacher (BLD) and Fr Fasbender (BLD) sent BLD to halftime up 41-35.
BLD's grip tightened in the third. Summer scored the first two baskets, then Schumacher hit back-to-back threes and added a layup, breaking CEE's resistance despite a Robert Brinck (CEE) triple. Fasbender kept producing around the rim as the hosts carried a 61-50 cushion into the last quarter.
Early in Q4, Schroeder and Schumacher pushed the margin, and a decisive 11-2 run (from 70-56 to 81-58) with makes by Summer, Schumacher and Denis Wirtz (BLD) delivered the largest lead at +23. CEE timeouts in the 4th couldn't change the rhythm.
Top performers:
- BLD: Schumacher (29; 10 twos, 2 threes, 3 FTs), Summer (19; three threes), Schroeder (13), Wirtz (12), Fasbender (8). Tom Bemtgen (BLD) added a late basket.
- CEE: Abdiu (20; 4 twos, 2 threes, 6 FTs), Brinck (18), Alec Goedert (12), Pierre Hoffmann (8), Christophe Medinger (5), Julie Belva (2).
BLD dominated inside (31 made two-pointers to CEE's 23) and added six threes to CEE's four. CEE had the edge at the line (7 points to 3), but the hosts' second-half control decided the game. No player fouled out; Luc Reuter (BLD) picked two early personals and saw limited impact. Coach Debra Sally's side outscored CEE 68-46 over the final three quarters.
(AI generated)