Arantia Larochette controlled Résidence Walferdange from the tip and won 96-68 in the M-U22 Qualifications in Larochette. João Pedro Osorio Silva's group set the tone with a 28-12 first quarter built on pace and shot-making. Noé Tibold (19, 1.98m) stamped the opening period with 9 points, repeatedly finishing at the rim. The gap widened in the second quarter (56-28 at halftime) as Arantia rained threes.
The decisive stretch came after the break: Oleksandr Senchenko (21, 1.85m, Ukraine) caught fire with a third-quarter flurry that included back-to-back triples, driving the lead to +35 at 75-40, Arantia's highest margin (also matched at 87-52 early in the fourth). Even as Dragan Stipanovic's side found some rhythm late, the hosts were never threatened.
Arantia's perimeter barrage was the story: 19 made three-pointers, with Senchenko burying 7 and Alan Genoud adding 4. Behind them, Tibold powered inside for 19, while Edson Rafael De Sousa Silva (18, 1.88m, Portugal) and Lee Brosius chipped in 12 and 10. Bench support arrived at key moments, notably from Mathis Dieterlen (two threes, including the first bucket of the fourth).
Résidence's best answers came from Felix Urwald (Season PPG: 16.4), who led with 14 points, and Rayan Essifi (RES) with 13. Finn Stoltz (RES) strung together a late sequence, and Aurel Nicula (RES) closed with a 5-point burst in the final minute, trimming the deficit. Captain Victor Shungu Bonga battled foul trouble, picking up his third and fourth in the second half.
Game evolution highlights:
- Q1: Arantia 28-12, fueled by early runs of 6-1 and 14-5.
- Q2: Threes from Genoud, Senchenko and Brosius broke it open (28-16 in the quarter).
- Q3: Senchenko's spree pushed the lead to +35.
- Q4: Résidence won the period 18-16, but the margin stayed wide.
In the updated standings, Arantia climb to 3rd place (+3) at 3-0, while Résidence are listed first (+2) at 2-3.
(AI generated)