Racing Luxembourg edged Musel Pikes 83-80 in Stadtbredimus after a tense finish. The visitors burst out 13-2, sparked by Angelo Caruso (19, 1.87m, ITA) and Leo Backes (19, 1.92m), to take the first quarter 26-21. Musel answered with a 9-0 start to the second period for a 30-26 lead, driven by Enzo Sanna (20, 1.92m, FRA) and Jason Hartz (18, 1.74m). Racing replied with a 9-0 run of their own (31-39), mainly through Igor Durovic (20, 1.87m, BIH) and Caruso, before Musel clawed back to 44-44 at the break.
Racing rebuilt control after halftime, twice stretching the gap to eight (57-65), but Konan Boglin Oth (18, 1.90m, MKD) kept Musel in touch from the line and in the lane, trimming it to 63-65 after three. Early in the fourth, Hartz drilled a three to cap a 7-0 surge for a brief 70-69 Musel lead, only for Caruso to answer immediately from deep. After a timeout, Timothee Lahure (20, 1.93m) hit back-to-back baskets for 72-79, and late field goals by Backes and Durovic sealed it. Musel reduced it to one possession in the final minute, but Racing held on.
Key numbers: Racing outscored Musel 7-3 from beyond the arc, while Musel stayed close with 19 made free throws to Racing's 6. Sanna scored four straight free throws in the first quarter; Oth strung together multiple makes at the stripe in the third.
Top performers: For Racing, Caruso poured in 28, Durovic added 20, Lahure 13 and Backes 10. For Musel, Oth led with 19, Hartz had 17, Sanna 13, Luca Monteiro Delgado (18, 1.95m) 12 and Geoffrey Schlammes (MUS) 10. Aleksandar Babic (RAC) fouled out in the fourth after earlier scoring bursts, but his teammates carried the late stretches.
With this close win, coach Uros Niksic's team climbs to 1st in the standings (2-1, +3 places). Musel Pikes, coached by Adrien Frederique Jacquet, sit 3rd at 1-2. Racing's highest lead was 11 in the opening quarter; Musel's largest was 4 early in the second.
(AI generated)
Musel Pikes 
Racing Luxembourg 
