Seventh-ranked Etzella Ettelbruck ended a three-game losing streak by beating fifth-ranked T71 Dudelange 83-68 and leveling the season series at 1-1 after the earlier 58-77 defeat.
Game evolution was the key. T71 started better and went in front 16-5, with Uros Malesevic (Season PPG: 21.85) already on a roll and scoring 10 points in the first quarter. Etzella reacted strongly after its timeout and closed the period on a 17-5 stretch to move ahead 22-21. T71 then opened the second quarter with a 7-0 burst for 28-22, led by Nils Schroeder (Season PPG: 15.33), but Etzella answered again. Noah Wolter (Season PPG: 10.00) was very active around that phase, and coach Gavin Love's team reached halftime in front 42-37.
The third quarter stayed tight. Etzella pushed the gap to 46-39, but Laurent Schmitz's side fought back and tied the game at 58-58 late in the quarter. Lenny Lopes Morais (Season PPG: 5.62) then hit the important three that sent ETZ into the last period up 61-58.
That set up the decisive final quarter. Marvin Delgado dos Santos (Season PPG: 16.47) opened it with a three, and Etzella gradually broke the game open. From 58-58, ETZ produced a 25-8 sequence and reached its biggest lead at 83-66.
Etzella had four main scorers: Sam Schaaf, the 18-year-old 1.92m captain (Season PPG: 14.78), finished with 24 despite four fouls; Wolter added 21; Delgado dos Santos and Lopes Morais both had 18. For T71, Malesevic scored 23, Schroeder 17, and Fabian Agbodenou, the 21-year-old German guard (Season PPG: 14.67), added 12.
(AI generated)