T71 Dudelange controlled Racing Luxembourg 88-74 in the M-Coupe Minis semifinal at tramsschap/central, building the win on a dominant second quarter and a composed finish.
After a balanced start, T71 edged the first period 23-17 behind early baskets from Ben Kloos (T71) and Finn Crelot (T71), while Elhadj Ibrahima Diallo (RAC) kept Racing in touch. The game turned in the second quarter: from 24-24, Pol Guedes (T71) strung together 8 points in a row (two free throws and three field goals) to spark a 21-9 close to halftime for a 45-33 lead. Coach Alain Schaeffer's timeout management kept T71 steady as the gap grew.
Racing, guided by coach Christian Nittler, surged in the third. Diallo, a 13-year-old from Portugal, caught fire with five triples overall and scored 10 consecutive Racing points to end the quarter, trimming the deficit to 59-63 after a 26-18 period. He carried four fouls yet stayed aggressive.
T71 answered immediately in the fourth: Crelot and Tun Jungers (T71) fueled a 9-0 start to 72-59. Guedes then delivered another burst six straight points to make it 83-65, T71's largest lead (+18), effectively sealing the tie. Ian Hulten (T71) committed back-to-back fouls in this stretch, but Dudelange's offense remained in rhythm.
Top performers
- T71: Pol Guedes (T71) led with 33 points, decisive in the second and fourth quarters. Captain Ben Kloos (T71) added 12 and Finn Crelot (T71) 11, with steady support from Charel Krings (T71) and Noah Baseggio (T71).
- Racing: Elhadj Ibrahima Diallo (RAC) exploded for 52 points, including five threes, almost single-handedly engineering the third-quarter comeback. Roby Sahr (RAC) contributed 10.
T71's poise at the start of the fourth and Guedes's scoring runs framed the game's crucial moments as Dudelange won the semifinal 88-74.
(AI generated)