Racing Luxembourg answered its earlier 95-83 defeat against Arantia Larochette with a clear 101-65 home win and moved up one place to first in the M-U18 Division 1 Phase finale at 7-1. Racing also extended its current streak to five wins, while Arantia stayed sixth at 1-7 after a fifth straight loss.
The game was balanced only in the opening minutes at 5-5. After that, Racing took control of the rhythm. A strong first quarter included an 8-0 run to 23-10 and later a 10-0 burst that pushed the gap to 33-13 before the period closed at 33-15. Hristo Stoykov's team kept the pressure on in the second quarter with a 9-0 start for 42-15. Arantia reacted and cut it to 42-23, but Racing answered with an 11-2 finish to halftime for 53-25.
Arantia had its best spell after the break. Mathis Dieterlen (Season PPG: 17.83) scored five early points and the visitors reduced the deficit to 55-32. Lee Brosius (Season PPG: 26.93) kept Arantia active offensively, but Racing never let the margin fall below 23 in the third quarter and carried a 72-44 lead into the last period. Dieterlen picked up three fouls in the third quarter and later fouled out, which mattered for Karolis Abramavicius' side.
Racing then absorbed Arantia's 10-3 push to 82-58 and replied with a decisive 16-2 run to 98-60, its biggest lead reaching 38 points. Racing had six players in double figures, led by Yair Portal Levav (Season PPG: 10.35) with 19, Louis Cocard (Season PPG: 14.72) and Sarunas Sulcas (Season PPG: 15.53) with 18 each, and captain Stefan Stoykov (Season PPG: 21.71), the 17-year-old Bulgarian, with 17. For Arantia, Brosius scored 22, Dieterlen 15, the 1.98m Lars Bosdijk (Season PPG: 11.67) had 14, and Maximilien Nuss (Season PPG: 9.33) added 12.
(AI generated)