Baumholder's Treyvante Kendrick scores against Alconbury's Joey Behr in a Division III semifinal at the DODDS-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. Baumholder won 44-29 to advance to Saturday's final. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Baumholder's Treyvante Kendrick scores against Alconbury's Joey Behr in a Division III semifinal at the DODDS-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. Baumholder won 44-29 to advance to Saturday's final. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Alconbury's Pavel Karamshin fights Baumholder's Treyvante Kendrick for a rebound as Jaylen Martin tries to get in on the action in a Division III semifinal at the DODDS-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. Baumholder won 44-29 to advance to Saturday's final. At right is Joey Behr. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Baumholder's Jaylon Bentley shoots over Alconbury's Joey Behr in a Division III semifinal at the DODDS-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. Baumholder won 44-29 to advance to Saturday's final. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Alconbury's Forrest Booker evades Baumholder's Jeff Pierre as he goes to the basket in a Division III semifinal at the DODDS-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. Baumholder won 44-29 to advance to Saturday's final. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Alconbury's Wes Reddecliff drives up the court as the Dragons try to make a comeback attempt against Baumholder in a Division III semifinal at the DODDS-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. Baumholder won 44-29 to advance to Saturday's final. Trailing at left is Baumholder's Jeff Pierre. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Alconbury's Adarius Gallon and Baumholder's Treyvante Kendrick and Jeff Pierre, from left, fight for a rebound in a Division III semifinal at the DODDS-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. Baumholder won 44-29 to advance to Saturday's final. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Sigonella's Christian Moore shoots a short jumper over a Brussels' defender in the semifinals of the DODDS-Europe tournament, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)

Sigonella's Thomas Wray goes up strong over a Brussels' defender in the semifinals of the DODDS-Europe tournament, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)

Sigonella's Jason Berlin finishes a fast break layup over a Brussels' Aaron Richardson in the semifinals of the DODDS-Europe tournament, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)

Brussels' Michael DeFazio shoots a three pointer against Sigonella in the semifinals of the DODDS-Europe tournament, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)

Brussels' Aaron Richardson shoots a jumper with Sigonella's Jason Berlin defending in the semifinals of the DODDS-Europe tournament, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)

WIESBADEN, Germany – Baumholder faced Alconbury two times during the regular season. Two times the team lost.

But with the stakes higher – a chance to play for the European Division III boys title on the line – the Bucs finally prevailed over Alconbury in Friday’s semifinal game, 44-29.

In Saturday’s finals, Baumholder will vie against the Jaguars from Sigonella, who earned a chance to become a new European champion by ousting the old one, 51-43 over Brussels.

The matchup gives Baumholder a chance to avenge their 51-48 loss to Sigonella in previous tourney play this week.

The Sigonella and Baumholder girls also earned a spot in their respective title match with their own semifinal wins, setting the stage for a possible repeat of a school sweep; Brussels pulled off the title sweep in both games last year.

Baumholder 44, Alconbury 29: After jumping out to an 8-0 lead, No. 3-seed Baumholder never looked back. Alconbury pulled to within 8-6 with about 2 minutes remaining in the first quarter, but just as the Dragons tried to claw their way back, the Bucs went on a scoring run, a pattern that repeated throughout the game.

After falling behind at halftime 21-13, Alconbury started playing like the 10-2-record team that earned the tournament’s No. 1 seed. With about three minutes to go in the third period, Alconbury narrowed Baumholder’s lead to 24-21.

It was the closest the Dragons would come to tying the score. Baumholder put up three points in less than a minute and ended the period with the best play of the game: A long three-pointer at the buzzer by sophomore shooting guard Jaylen Martin, putting the Bucs up 30-22.

Two three-pointers by Alconbury’s Forrest Booker, a freshman, and towering 6-foot-7 center senior Joey Behr, in the fourth period kept the Dragons in the game, but it was too little, too late.

“They were hot today,” Alconbury coach Ron Behr said of the Bucs. “Once they got the upper hand, they stalled and realized we were in foul trouble,” controlling the ball to their advantage.

Four Alconbury players fouled out.

“We came out with an attack mindset,” said Baumholder senior point guard Kadarius Williams, who led all scorers with 17. “It was intense.”

Martin chipped in 12 points for the Bucs, and sophomore Jaylon Bentley added 10.

Top scorers for Alconbury were Behr with 10 points and senior forward/center Pavel Karmshin with nine.

Sigonella 51, Brussels 43: Though they returned little of last year’s title-winning roster, and have just two seniors and two juniors on the squad in total, the Brigands didn’t surrender their title willingly. Sigonella had to work for it, and work the Jaguars did.

Locked in a back-and-forth battle, the Jaguars unleashed a stifling full-court press that produced six points in quick succession with under three minutes to play in the third; that run put Sigonella in control of a previously-tied game and set them on the path to an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

Wing duo Chris Moore and Jason Berlin produced the brunt of the Jaguar offense. Moore led the squad with 19, while Berlin added 14.

Michael DeFazio led the Brigand resistance. After being held scoreless in the first half, the junior guard made six three-pointers after halftime, including four in the fourth quarter, in a 22-point explosion that accounted for all but seven points of Brussels’ second-half scoring output.

The win puts Sigonella in the Division III boys title game for the first time since making three straight trips ending in 2011; the school won the crown in 2009.