Basket Esch (LAL) edged Kordall Steelers (KDS) 95-88 in Mondorf after a tight, back-and-forth game that swung on late shot-making. Esch opened fast: after an early Jonaitis free throw, a 12-3 burst pushed them to 13-4 and a 23-18 first-quarter lead. With Damien Thill (22, 1.90m) stretching the floor and Emmanuel Jesus Frederico (16, 2.00m, CPV) productive inside, Esch built the biggest gap at 52-42 before the break (54-48 halftime).
Kordall answered in the third. Jackson Sivills (KDS) drilled back-to-back threes in a 9-0 run that flipped the score to 63-64, with Trey Wood (KDS) repeatedly finding the lane. Early in the fourth, Quinten Nelson (LAL) strung together five quick points to restore a slim edge, but an unsportsmanlike foul (U2) on him allowed Kordall to pull within 80-79. That's when Jordan Hicks (35, 2.01m, USA) delivered the decisive blow: two consecutive triples for 86-79. Sivills went on a personal 5-0 to make it 86-84, and after a brief exchange Emmanuel added a key basket. Thill then hit a late three for 91-86. Gian-Luca Pellegrino (KDS) cut it to 91-88, but Hicks calmly sank four free throws in a row to seal it.
Top scorers
- Basket Esch: Nelson (LAL) 29 with a barrage from deep; Hicks 22, including the two back-to-back threes and the closing 4/4 at the line; Thill 15 with timely perimeter shooting; Jesus Frederico 16. Corentin Cornu (30, 1.82m, FRA) added 9.
- Kordall Steelers: Sivills (KDS) 30, the engine of the comeback; Robertas Jonaitis (KDS) 23 before fouling out in the final quarter; Wood (KDS) 20. Captain Max Schmit (33, 1.80m) chipped in.
Crucial moments included Esch's 10-point second-quarter lead, Kordall's third-quarter surge to a brief advantage, and the closing sequence coached by Franck Meriguet, highlighted by Hicks' clutch shot-making. Antonio Lopez's Steelers were in full chase mode late, but Jonaitis' foul trouble and Hicks' closing free throws proved decisive.
(AI generated)
Basket Esch 
Kordall Steelers 
