Arantia Larochette won 95-74 in Esch after a game that stayed competitive until halftime. Basket Esch opened 5-0 and still led 18-17 late in the first quarter, but Arantia answered with a 10-3 finish for a 27-21 edge. Esch then reacted well: after falling behind 21-30, they came back through Quinten Gregory Dee Nelson and Dino Ceman, tied at 35-35 and briefly moved in front 38-37 and 41-40. Coach Karolis Abramavicius' team still went into the break ahead, 42-41.
The decisive moment came in the third quarter. From 49-52, Kevon Lamar Godwin (Season PPG: 22.83, RPG: 3.38, AssPG: 4.41) scored 6 points in a row, then Michael Anthony Carter III (Season PPG: 23.41, RPG: 4.69, AssPG: 3.41) added a three for 61-50. Arantia won that period 27-15 and never lost control, extending the gap to 80-60 and later to a highest lead of 21.
Arantia's shooting from long range was decisive: an excellent 16/29 from three, 55%. They also controlled rebounds 39-31 and committed only 11 turnovers against 16 for Esch. Godwin finished with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and an excellent 6/8 from deep. Carter added 19 points and 6 assists, while Tyrell Daniel Sturdivant (Season PPG: 13.91, RPG: 8.5, AssPG: 0.97), the 2.04m, 30-year-old American, had 19 points and 8 rebounds. Edson Rafael De Sousa Silva contributed 13 points on an excellent 4/4 at the line.
For Esch, Nelson (Season PPG: 20.08, RPG: 5.24, AssPG: 3.85) scored 21 with an excellent 5/9 from three, Ceman added 19 on 3/4 from deep, and Clancy Mac Rugg (Season PPG: 19.91, RPG: 9.34, AssPG: 3.03) posted 17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks. Esch also shot well from outside at 12/24, 50%, but their 13/36 from two-point range was too low. In this Enovos League game, the player balance also mattered: Arantia had 2 professional players, Esch 1.
(AI generated)