Amicale Steesel controlled proceedings in Dudelange, beating T71 82-71 before 312 spectators and completing the season sweep (100-55 away, 82-71 here). The game tilted early: after T71's first lead at 2-0, Ashton Lee Sherrell strung together three consecutive scoring plays (2, bonus free throw, then a three) to push AMI ahead 10-5 and close the first quarter at 26-18.
T71 responded in the second. Jimmie Lee Taylor III (Season PPG: 23.56, RPG: 7.10, AssPG: 3.00) hit two triples to help T71 tie it at 28-28. From there, Daniel Alves Brandão de Sousa's side produced the decisive 18-7 burst to halftime (46-35), fueled by Alex Laurent (Season PPG: 14.71, RPG: 4.58, AssPG: 1.16) and Malcolm Richardson (Season PPG: 15.94, RPG: 7.26, AssPG: 5.84).
In the third, Taylor III briefly cut it to 40-48, but Laurent answered with five straight and a technical on Denell Stephens shifted momentum; AMI led 60-47 after three. The visitors' largest gap reached +19 (75-56) in the fourth before Taylor III's late flurry trimmed it, yet the margin stayed double digits.
Efficiency told the story. AMI's 22/25 at the line (88%, good) and 18/34 on twos (53%, good) outweighed a rough 8/29 from deep (28%). T71 shot 16/32 on twos (50%, good) and 10/28 from three (36%, good) but only 9/14 at the stripe (64%). Richardson was perfect at the line (7/7, excellent), while Sherrell delivered a dominant interior night: 24 points on 8/11 twos (72.7%, excellent) and 5/6 FTs. Laurent added 16 and timely makes.
For T71, Taylor III (31, 1.98m, USA) was outstanding with 36 points, hitting 8/10 from three (80%, excellent). Joe Kalmes (Season PPG: 13.88, RPG: 6.24, AssPG: 2.24) added 11, but the hosts lost captain Christopher Jack to fouls late. Yves André Defraigne's team sits fifth, while AMI consolidate fourth and extend their win streak to eight.
(AI generated)