Racing Luxembourg B overpowered Black Star Mersch 112-56 at Lux-Gare in the M-U14 Division 5 championship round. The hosts opened on a 9-0 burst through Henrik Alfred Piirsalu and Levi Balde and closed the first quarter up 25-13. Mersch steadied in the second through Ylan Madoki Bigas and Luca Donini, but Coach Christian Frick's team kept stacking scores and reached halftime 53-34 after a brief BSM timeout at 45-25.
The third quarter decided it. Racing returned from the break with a 12-2 run, Balde and the 12-year-old Finn Piirsalu alternating baskets to 65-36. Later in the period, an 8-0 spurt Balde from deep, Eliot Egret at the line, then Jean Georges Pongas (RACB) and Piirsalu pushed it to 89-45 after 30 minutes. The hosts controlled the pace in the fourth, peaking at a 56-point lead before closing out.
Balde led Racing with 26 points (Season PPG: 7.00), Piirsalu added 20 (Season PPG: 12.73). Raphaël Massard had 11 (Season PPG: 8.13) and Roman Bilousov 11 (Season PPG: 3.00), while Robert Stapic chipped in 9 (Season PPG: 3.33) and Egret 7 (Season PPG: 2.29). Pongas (RACB) and Gabriel Bernard Marcolin (RACB) each contributed 10. Bilousov absorbed three personals in the second quarter but remained productive.
For Black Star, Madoki Bigas poured in 28 (Season PPG: 19.86) with multiple trips to the line, and Donini followed with 21 (Season PPG: 9.50). Denis Notarnicola added 7 (Season PPG: 11.33). Vasco Daniel Roder was whistled four times.
Racing climbs to 2nd in the phase (2-0), backing up their momentum with a second straight win, while Coach Aleksandar Petrovic's side sits 3rd at 1-2 after dropping back-to-back games.
(AI generated)