Basket Esch edged Résidence Walferdange 85-77 after overtime in a tight U16 Division 1 clash in Esch, decided by a late surge from the hosts. Esch jumped out 25-17 after the first quarter, but Résidence flipped the momentum with a 21-12 second period to lead by one at halftime. Stipanovic's side then opened the third with an 8-2 push and built a 61-52 advantage entering the fourth. Esch responded with a 5-0 start to the last quarter and, behind steady half-court scoring, closed regulation 20-11 to force overtime at 72-72.
In the extra period, the game pivoted when Maël Gevrey (15, FRA) tied it at 74-74 from the line and, moments later, buried a three for 78-74. Despite Esch captain Alexandre Kremer (15) fouling out in OT, Feller's team finished on a 5-0 run Gabriel Thomas (14, FRA) cool from the stripe to secure the win. Résidence, meanwhile, lost key pieces to foul trouble: Jokubas Toliusis (15, LTU) exited in the fourth and Ahti Samson Ukura (14, FIN) in overtime, which blunted their late options.
Top performers
- Basket Esch: Gevrey led with 23 points, including three triples, while Paul Blettery (15, FRA) added 18. Euricky Semedo da Veiga (14, PRT) chipped in 13 and Thomas 11, crucial in crunch time.
- Résidence Walferdange: Nojus Banys (15, LTU) poured in 27 and authored a personal 5-point burst in Q2 (two plus three straight free throws). Rafael Dos Santos Antonio (15, BEL) had 23, with Jokubas Banaitis adding 9.
Esch's closing stretch 33-16 across the fourth quarter and overtime was the difference in a game where Résidence had led by nine late in the third. The result puts Basket Esch atop the standings (1st, +2) at 3-0, extending their winning streak to three, while Résidence (now 2nd) sees a two-game run halted.
(AI generated)