Basket Esch edged Arantia Larochette 77-74 in Larochette, prevailing in a tight finish after a pronounced swing in the second half. Arantia, coached by Karolis Abramavicius, built a 39-29 halftime lead on an 18-2 burst to close Q1 (from 2-12 down to 20-14) and solid interior scoring. Franck Mriguet's side answered with a 27-16 third quarter, fueled by second-chance boards (12 offensive rebounds overall) and free throws.
The key sequence came early in Q4 at 61-61: an unsportsmanlike foul on Michael Anthony Carter III (28, 1.88m, USA) led to two Cornu free throws and the lead for Basket Esch. Later, with the game tied 69-69, Clancy Mac Rugg (34, 2.03m) hit inside and Quinten Gregory Dee Nelson (26, 1.85m, USA) followed with a dagger three and two more free throws for a personal 5-0 run to 76-69. Derek Wilson (34, 1.95m) kept Arantia alive with a late triple, but Esch managed the final seconds.
Shooting defined the outcome: Arantia went 60% on 2s and 85% at the line (both good), but just 5/28 from three (18%). Esch paired 58% on 2s and 76% FT (both good) with steadier late-game execution. Team nuances: Arantia won turnovers (10 vs 13) and had 27 defensive rebounds; Esch's 12 offensive boards and 13 assists underpinned the comeback.
Top performers
- Arantia (homegrown side): Wilson and Vic Heuschling (29, 1.96m) contributed 12 points combined at 4/4 on 2s.
- Arantia (professional core): Kevon Lamar Godwin (25, 1.88m, USA) led with 21 points (2P 7/10 good) before fouling out in the fourth; Jonas Levickas (26, 1.98m, LTU) added 15; Carter III scored 15 despite the Q4 U2.
- Basket Esch (homegrown side): Dino Ceman (23, 1.98m) and Damien Thill (22, 1.90m) provided timely minutes; Jeffry Monteiro Neves (27, 2.06m) started.
- Basket Esch (professional core): Nelson was MVP with 25 points (3/3 FT, 8/12 2P), Rugg delivered 19 (2P 6/8 excellent; 4/5 FT), Jordan Hicks (35, 2.01m, USA) added 13, and Corentin Cornu (30, 1.82m, FRA) scored 10 with 6/7 FT.
With this close win, Basket Esch move to first place and extend their streak to two victories, while Arantia sit sixth (170 spectators, 150 paying).
(AI generated)