T71 Dudelange beat Résidence Walferdange 96-83 in a game that stayed open for three quarters. It was an important response for Yves Defraigne's team after two straight losses, and it lifted T71 to 4th place (+6), while Résidence slipped to 6th (-1).
The first quarter was fast and offensive. T71 built a small edge behind Domenick Sleva (28, 1.98m, USA), who scored 16 points in the period, but Résidence answered through Oliver Vujakovic (29, 1.95m) and Demarkus Tremayne Stuckey Jr (31, 1.82m, USA). Walferdange even went in front 27-26 before Jimmie Lee Taylor III (32, 1.98m, USA) closed the quarter with 5 points in a row for 31-27.
The visitors then produced one of the game's key runs. Early in the second quarter, Ahmad Gene Rand (28, 2.02m, USA), Stuckey Jr and Desean Hampton (27, 1.93m, USA) pushed RES from 30-36 to a 41-38 lead. T71 answered immediately: Taylor III was solid at the line and Christopher David Jack (28, 1.98m) buried back-to-back threes, helping the home side recover a 50-47 halftime lead.
Résidence came again after the break. From 47-52, they scored 10 straight points, with Hampton and Mykolas Maindron (22, 1.82m) driving that stretch, to lead 57-52. T71's reply was decisive: Finn Reisdorffer (22, 2.02m) and Taylor III shifted the momentum, and the hosts entered the last quarter ahead 71-66.
The break came in the fourth. Fabian Agbodenou (21, 1.80m) opened with a three, T71 extended to 79-68, and Jack later pushed the margin to 91-77, the highest lead of the night.
T71 had good shooting across the board: 86% FT, 56% on 2-pointers, 45% on 3-pointers, with an 18-13 edge in assists. Sleva was MVP with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Taylor III added 25 points and 8 assists, while Jack hit 3 threes. Dino Ceman (24, 1.98m) gave 9 points and 7 assists before fouling out.
For RES, Stuckey Jr scored 23, Hampton had 17 on an excellent 8/10 from 2-point range, Rand added 17 and shot an excellent 2/3 from deep, while Vujakovic finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
(AI generated)