Etzella Ettelbruck controlled its M-U18 Division 1 home game against Basket Esch from the tip, winning 73-59 at deichwisen/central. Coach Nelson Delgado's side set the tone with a 23-11 first quarter, sparked by Noah Wolter (ETZ, 17) who strung together three consecutive field goals in the opening period and piled up eight quick points, and by perimeter pressure that repeatedly sent Etzella to the line. The lead reached 40-24 at the half.
Esch tried to react in Q2 through a mini-burst from Noah Kouamedjouo (LAL), who hit back-to-back threes to trim it to 38-24, but a technical foul whistled on Emmanuel Jesus Frederico (LAL, 16, CPV) halted momentum. After the break, Etzella stretched the gap with a balanced third quarter (57-37 after 30'), fueled by Marvin Delgado dos Santos (ETZ), who mixed drives and a timely three, and by steady touches from Charel Wilmes (ETZ).
The hosts' highest lead came early in the fourth at 66-39 (+27). Coach Dejan Pavlovic's Esch then produced a late surge, winning the last quarter 22-16. Kevin Kelechi Nnganyadi (LAL) authored a strong closing stretch, scoring repeatedly in a row to reach 11 points, while Kyan Braunshausen (LAL, Season PPG: 6.6) added interior finishes. Hugo Loureiro Duarte (LAL) picked up two quick fouls to open the period, and Etzella's St'phane Rocardo Silva (ETZ, 17, AGO) was whistled multiple times in Q4, helping Esch chip away, but the cushion held even after Lenny Lopes Morais (ETZ) fouled out late.
Top scorers
- Etzella: Delgado dos Santos (ETZ) 23, Lopes Morais (ETZ) 16, Wolter (ETZ) 14, Wilmes (ETZ) 7, Palermo Cardoso (ETZ) 7.
- Esch: Nnganyadi (LAL) 11, Kouamedjouo (LAL) 8, Bounounou Bounang (LAL) 7, Becker (LAL, Season PPG: 4.4) 6, Braunshausen (LAL, Season PPG: 6.6) 6.
Classification impact: Etzella moves to 4-0, gains first place (+1) and extends its winning streak to four. Esch falls to 2-2 but climbs to third (+1), continuing its alternating win-loss pattern. Coach Delgado's group managed game control early; Esch's late push narrowed it, but the gap built over three quarters was decisive.
(AI generated)