Fourth-ranked T71 Dudelange B won 67-61 at sixth-ranked Basket Esch B in the Phase finale, but this third meeting between the sides was clearly more competitive than the earlier T71B wins by 29 and 40 points.
T71B set the tone early. Lorenzo Magoum (Season PPG: 14.25) scored 10 points in the first quarter, including a three, and Dudelange moved in front 20-13. Basket Esch B stayed close in the second period behind Gabriel Kühne Meza (Season PPG: 10.09), who kept attacking and helped cut the gap to 28-28, but T71B answered well. Gonner hit from long range, Magoum stayed productive, and the visitors still led 39-31 at halftime.
The third quarter was another important stretch for Carlo Muller's team. T71B kept finding answers through Bugarski, Ceresi, Andrade Tavares and Gonner, while Magoum committed two fouls in a row but remained influential. Dudelange pushed the margin to 57-45 after three quarters and later reached its highest lead at 67-47 in the fourth.
That looked decisive, yet Basket Esch B produced the best late sequence of the game. Damien Thill's team closed on a 14-0 run, turning a 20-point deficit into a real finish at 67-61. Kühne Meza led the comeback and finished with 22 points, his best scoring output of the season. Alim Durovic (Season PPG: 13.00) added 10, while Luca Di Nardo (14, Luxembourg) and Berin Hajdarpasic both scored 8.
For the winners, Magoum's 16 points were central despite four fouls, and T71B also benefited from balanced support: Lou Gonner had 9, while Nikola Bugarski, Elia Ceresi, Dany Teixeira Mendes, Jim Resl and Jayden Andrade Tavares all scored 6. Basket Esch B is now on a six-game losing streak, while T71B strengthens its hold on fourth place.
(AI generated)