Racing Luxembourg edged Etzella Ettelbruck 84-80 in a tight M-U18 Division 1 final and extended its winning run to seven games. It was also Racing's fourth win over Etzella this season, but this one was far more contested than the earlier meetings.
Etzella controlled the opening quarter well. Charel Wilmes (Season PPG: 10.19) hit three triples in the first period, Marvin Delgado dos Santos (Season PPG: 24.65) added two more, and ETZ built a 25-13 lead, their biggest advantage being 12 points.
The game changed early in the second quarter. From 18-27, Racing produced 13 unanswered points to move ahead 31-27. Coach Hristo Stoykov's team found more rhythm through 17-year-old Bulgarian captain Stefan Stoykov (Season PPG: 22.45), who finished with 22 points, while Louis Cocard (Season PPG: 15.57) punished Etzella from outside and ended with 13 points on four made threes. Racing won the quarter 25-13 and went to halftime up 43-38.
The third quarter brought Racing's best stretch. Oskar Berger (Season PPG: 11.85) and Stoykov pushed the margin to 55-40, the game's highest lead at 15 points. Berger scored 11 points despite early foul trouble, reaching four fouls before the last minutes. Etzella stayed in contact behind Lenny Lopes Morais (Season PPG: 18.81), who finished with 20 points, and the gap was cut to 60-57 by the end of the third.
The last quarter stayed tense throughout. Etzella came back to 60-60, then led 73-72 and 77-75 after Delgado's basket. Racing answered with another decisive run: 9 straight points from 75-77 to 84-77, with Sarunas Sulcas (Season PPG: 16.33), Nick Wallers (Season PPG: 14.22) and Cocard all involved. Wallers gave Racing strong bench production with 17 points, while Etzella's main threats were Lopes Morais, Delgado (20) and Wilmes (17).
(AI generated)