Musel Pikes handled Résidence Walferdange 80-53 in Stadtbredimus to open the U22 qualification round. The hosts set the tone with a 23-12 first quarter, fueled by a blistering start from Jason Hartz (18, 1.74m), who hit four triples and 14 points in the opening period. An unsportsmanlike foul on Félix Urwald early in Q1 handed extra momentum to Musel.
Résidence answered in the second frame (10-15), pulling level at 23-23 after a three by Rayan Essifi, before Hartz immediately replied from deep and Konan Boglin Oth rebuilt a 33-27 halftime edge. The third quarter (23-11) broke it open: Oth (18, 1.90m, MKD) strung together five consecutive points and kept drawing fouls, while Hartz and David Ferreira Gordo added long-range punches; a late unsportsmanlike on Enzo Sanna did not swing the flow. Musel's largest lead reached +30 (80-50) before Aurel Nicula's late three.
Hartz led all scorers with 30 (six threes). Oth added 21 (seven twos, seven free throws), Ferreira Gordo 11 (three threes), and Luca Monteiro Delgado 8 inside. Résidence's best were Urwald with 14, Victor Shungu Bonga 12, Essifi 11, and Maurice Grivet 11. Under coach Adrien Frédérique Jacquet, Musel controlled the tempo after halftime; Dragan Stipanovic's side had its best spell in Q2 but couldn't sustain it.
(AI generated)