Racing Luxembourg, 1st in the relegation group, controlled this return game from the start and beat 4th-placed AB Contern 100-74. It was Racing's fourth win over Contern this season and a sixth straight victory overall, while Contern remain on a long losing run.
The game turned quickly through Racing's interior play. Flenard Whitfield (Season PPG: 10.56) scored Racing's first 10 points and helped build an early 10-4 edge. Contern stayed close for a while through Mathieu Arendt (Season PPG: 7.26) and captain Christophe Mertzig (Season PPG: 5.79), but Racing finished the first quarter with an 8-2 push for 30-20.
The second period created the real gap. Antunio Xavier Bivins (Season PPG: 27.30), the 33-year-old 1.99m USA forward, produced 7 points in a row to move the score from 32-22 to 39-22. Johan Bouttet then added 8 points in the quarter, including a three, and Racing reached 56-34 at halftime.
After the break, Adam Radomirovic's team removed any suspense. Whitfield and Jeff Keller were productive again around the rim, Hilger hit from long range, and Racing exploded for 32 points in the third quarter. The lead peaked at 39 points, first at 90-51 early in the fourth.
Whitfield's 22 points on 11 made two-pointers set the tone, while Bivins had 15 and Emanuel Loncaric 13. Jayson Stemper gave Racing strong support with 9 points, all on 2-pointers and free throws.
For Contern, Jeffrey Nicolas Jamal Schumacher (Season PPG: 8.63) was the main bright spot with 26 points, all from two-point range. Arendt added 18, Mertzig 13, and Olivier Summer 8. Daniel Gonnering's side did win the last quarter 23-12, but the game had already been decided by Racing's first three periods.
(AI generated)