Racing Luxembourg rolled into the M-Coupe Minis 1/8 finales with a 85-51 win at Heffingen, built on a ruthless second quarter that decided the tie early.
The opening period was balanced, 19-26, with Mex Steinmetz (11) carrying US Heffingen and Roby Sahr (13) answering for Racing. Steinmetz even stitched three straight free throws late in the first, but he also collected quick fouls. The game turned abruptly after 23-32: Racing delivered a stunning 27-0 run to 23-59, powered by Alejandro Cuesta Jaramillo (13, ESP), Henrik Alfred Piirsalu (12, FIN), Sahr and Akseli Heikki Virkkunen. The visitors posted a 38-8 second quarter and reached halftime at 27-64, their largest lead later peaking at +37.
Heffingen reacted after the break with a 15-8 third quarter, as Steinmetz and Michael Hostert found lanes to the rim and captain Mett Dostert added mid-range points. But Racing's balance reasserted itself down the stretch, and coach Christian Nittler's team closed it out 9-13 in the fourth. Steinmetz, Heffingen's main weapon, eventually fouled out in the last quarter, limiting any late push for coach Andrej Gruskovnjak.
Key performers
- US Heffingen: Steinmetz 25, relentless in the lane despite early foul trouble; Dostert Mett 7; Hostert 6; Amelia Joan Morton 6. Short bursts from Lio Banzer and Tim Yeong-Jun Kass.
- Racing Luxembourg: Cuesta Jaramillo 22 led the charge; Sahr 15 and Piirsalu 15 added constant pressure; Virkkunen 8 and Nikita Yannick Philippe Lamidiaux 7 offered depth, with Gabriel Guillen and Levi Balde chipping in.
Notable sequences
- Racing's 27-0 blitz in Q2 flipped a 9-point edge into a runaway.
- Cuesta Jaramillo absorbed two quick personal fouls in the first quarter yet stayed productive.
- Steinmetz scored in bunches early but his fifth foul in Q4 came at a costly moment.
Racing's depth and sustained pace earned a clear passage from the 1/8 finales.
(AI generated)