Gréngewald Hueschtert won the decisive M-U22 semi-final 83-74 away to Racing Luxembourg after controlling long stretches of the game. Coach Ricky Easterling's side set the tone early with a 7-0 start, led 25-21 after one quarter, then created the real break in the second period. Racing had cut it to 23-25, but GRE answered with a strong run and, after Luca Pividor (Season PPG: 13.09) hit back-to-back three-pointers, the gap grew to 42-28 and later 46-29, the highest lead of the night at 17. At halftime it was 48-34.
Racing tried to change the rhythm after the break. Angelo Caruso (Season PPG: 20.00) and the 21-year-old Bosnian guard Igor Durovic (Season PPG: 14.55) kept the home side alive, and the third quarter was more balanced at 12-8. In the fourth, Sarunas Sulcas (Season PPG: 10.56) scored 11 points and Racing came back to 58-64, then as close as 72-77.
Each time, Gréngewald had an answer. Lex Bauer (Season PPG: 17.42) finished with 18 points, Pividor added 19, and 1.99m Robyn Schumacher (Season PPG: 12.64) produced 18 important points inside before fouling out late. Kian Wensveen Grou (Season PPG: 17.20) added 11, while German Max Frederik Hessz (Season PPG: 12.60) gave useful support with 9.
For Racing, Durovic scored 18 and Caruso 17, but both fouled out late, which hurt the comeback effort. Jules Cochet (Season PPG: 6.14) added 9 and Leo Backes (Season PPG: 8.38) 8. Gréngewald, now on a 12-game winning run, took the semi-final and Racing was eliminated.
(AI generated)