Etzella Ettelbruck overpowered Résidence Walferdange 84-63 in the Phase finale round-robin, seizing first place and flipping the season narrative after two earlier losses to the same opponent (76-46 away, 69-73 at home). Coach Thierry Kremer's group led by seven at halftime and blew the game open immediately after the break with a relentless scoring burst that ballooned the margin to as many as 25 (84-59).
The centerpiece was Ben Schock (Season PPG: 15.93), who delivered a season-high 40 points. He strung together a personal 7-0 run late in the second half and repeatedly punished single coverage with a steady stream of twos and free throws. Support came from Seid Muratovic (Season PPG: 15.69) with 11, Lou Dos Santos 10 and Bastian Torres (15, France) adding 9, while Liam Ferreira Capela provided 8 and two key triples that sustained momentum.
Walferdange stayed in touch early through Matas Sendzikas (13 points, three threes) and Luis Leocadio Botelho (14), and the 15-year-old Belgian Rafael Dos Santos Antonio led them with 21, mixing drives with outside shooting. But the visitors' third-quarter foul trouble proved costly: Ahti Samson Ukura picked up multiple infractions, including a technical, and eventually fouled out; Rafael was whistled for an unsportsmanlike (U2), handing Etzella free throws and possession at a pivotal stretch.
Etzella's captain Gilles Schock fouled out after heavy third-quarter minutes, yet the hosts had already established control. Coach Raul Leandro Birenbaum's side saw a strong recent run halted, while Etzella's win moves them to 3-1 and into the top spot, with Résidence now second (also 3-1). The decisive post-interval surge and Schock's scoring clinic marked the game's turning point.
(AI generated)