Arantia Larochette took control progressively and won clearly at T71 Dudelange, 89-59, to move to 1st place after the opening qualification round, while T71 sit 12th.
The game was competitive for three quarters. Arantia led 20-13 after the first period and 40-29 at halftime, with good efficiency at the line and inside: 21/26 on free throws (81%) and 22/40 on 2-pointers (55%), both good under FIBA standards. T71 stayed in contact through Jimmie Lee Taylor III (32, 1.98m, USA), who finished with 28 points, 9 fouls received and a perfect 10/10 from the line, an excellent free-throw display.
T71's best phase came in the third quarter. After trailing 47-33, Yves Defraigne's team cut the gap behind Taylor, Christopher Jack and Finn Reisdorffer, winning the quarter 26-22 and reaching 55-62 late in the period. Arantia never lost composure, though, and the response in the fourth quarter was decisive.
From 64-57, Daniel Alves Brandao de Sousa's team produced a 25-0 run to blow the game open at 89-57, the crucial sequence of the night and the highest lead before the final free throws. T71 managed only 4 points in the last quarter.
Joshua Robinson McClary (23, 1.89m, USA), the game MVP, led Arantia with 24 points, 5 steals and 4 assists, including an excellent 9/10 at the line and good 3/6 from deep. Michael Esosa Imariagbe (24, 2.01m, USA) added 21 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals on good shooting, while captain Derek Wilson contributed 13 points, 6 steals and 4 assists with excellent 2-point and 3-point accuracy. Edson de Sousa Silva gave extra scoring punch with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
For T71, besides Taylor, Uros Malesevic added 7 points and 4 rebounds, and Denell Stephens (40, 1.93m, USA) brought 8 points and 8 rebounds. Taylor fouled out late, with T71 already under heavy pressure.
(AI generated)