T71 Dudelange edged Musel Pikes 90-86 in a tight Championship Round opener in the M-U18 Division 1, a game that swung several times before the hosts closed it out. T71 started sharper (22-17, 10'), with early threes by Jonas Lies and Jesse Papa Müller and steady scoring from Charel Brettner. Musel reacted in the second quarter behind captain Abram Macalou (16), who powered a 27-20 period to put the visitors up 44-42 at the break.
The third quarter delivered the decisive twist. Musel stretched the lead to 56-47, but T71 responded with an 8-0 burst sparked by Tom Kloos' backtoback triples to flip it 60-58. That run grew into a 25-5 spell to 72-61, with Kevin Fernandes Vaz (CPV) adding a three and Brettner finishing at the rim. Musel trimmed it to 72-65 entering the fourth.
Macalou kept the visitors in it, scoring five in a row (a three then a drive) to make it 77-76. In the closing minutes, Justin Lux and Lies hit timely twos, and Brettner's late trips to the line, including the final free throw, sealed it for T71. Kloos' four made threes off the bench were a second-half game changer. Musel also had a stretch of three straight free throws from Geoffrey Schlammes to steady their Q2 surge.
Top performers
- T71: Brettner (29 pts; 1.93m; Season PPG: 21.00) led with force inside and 6/6 at the line; Kloos (12) hit four triples; Fernandes Vaz (13; Season PPG: 18.67) was key during the third-quarter run; Lux and Lies added 10 each, with Lies scoring crucial late points. Coach Tom Schumacher's group produced the pivotal third-quarter push.
- Musel Pikes: Macalou (34; 12 2P, 3 3P; Season PPG: 28.40) carried the offense and kept the game alive deep into the fourth; Schlammes (17; Season PPG: 22.33) and Jules Jacquet (15; Season PPG: 17.17) supported the charge. Coach Majdi Anan's side led by as many as nine before T71's surge.
In the standings, T71 sit 3rd and Musel 4th in the Championship Round after one game. The largest leads: T71 by 11 (72-61), Musel by 9 (56-47). The winners were T71, with Brettner's late free throw and Kloos' third-quarter flurry proving decisive.
(AI generated)