Racing Luxembourg D, now 3rd after a jump of three places, beat 2nd-placed Black Star Mersch B 43-38 in a very tight defensive game. RACD extended its streak to three wins in a row, while BSMB saw its own three-game winning run end.
BSMB started better and led 3-0 through Ben Hilges (37, 0.00m), but RACD settled through Jaylson Ribeiro Goncalves (40, 0.00m) and Zachary Ivan Dawson (31, 0.00m). Late in the first quarter, Edoardo Cappelli (34, 0.00m, ITA) gave Racing a lift with five points as the home side moved to 12-9.
The second quarter brought BSMB's best spell before halftime. Pol Rodesch (33, 0.00m) scored four straight points and Black Star went in front 15-14. RACD answered immediately with a 6-0 run: Jorge Montero Gonzalez (27, 0.00m, ESP), Dawson and Elele Marc Andre Akpeubi (26, 0.00m, CIV) turned it into 20-15. Coach Laurynas Bagdonas' team then carried a 23-16 lead into the break.
The key break came in the third. After Erik Daling (37, 1.94m, NLD) cut it to 23-18, RACD went on a 13-4 stretch to 36-22, the biggest lead of the game. Montero hit back-to-back threes for six straight points in that sequence. He finished with a game-high 11 points, while Cappelli added 10, Dawson 9 and Akpeubi 6.
Coach Lisa Hilges' team still reacted. Mathieu Franco (35, 0.00m, FRA) scored four straight points at the end of the third, and BSMB opened the fourth with a 6-0 run through Hilges and Dan Mathes (39, 0.00m), closing to 36-32. RACD answered through Patrick Ribeiro Goncalves (38, 0.00m) and Dawson for 42-33, but BSMB came again. Daling, Charel Weis (35, 1.85m) and Rodesch brought it back to 42-38 before Montero scored the game's last point from the line.
For BSMB, Hilges, Franco and Rodesch all scored 8 points. Rodesch was also in foul trouble early and fouled out late.
(AI generated)