T71 Dudelange won a close one in Dreiborn, 89-83, and moved up one place to first in the M-U18 Division 1 Phase finale. Tom Schumacher's team is now on a three-game winning streak, while Musel Pikes stay fourth.
The game changed hands several times. Musel started better and went in front 26-20 after the first quarter, with Omar Youssef Essid (Season PPG: 14.31) and 16-year-old Abram Macalou (Season PPG: 25.88) setting the tone. The home side even reached a 9-point lead at 26-17. T71 answered before halftime: after trailing 45-39, they closed the second quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 46-45 lead.
The third quarter stayed tight. T71 opened with an 8-3 push for 54-48, but Musel reacted well through Geoffrey Schlammes (Season PPG: 19.72) and Jules Henri Ghislain Jacquet (Season PPG: 15.39). Musel edged back in front, 72-70, going into the last period.
The decisive stretch came late. Musel still led 81-80, but T71 produced eight straight points to turn the game to 88-81. In that sequence, Justin Lux and 1.93m forward/center Charel Brettner (Season PPG: 19.19) were decisive, and Schlammes' late unsportsmanlike foul also weighed on the finish.
Macalou led Musel with 26 points, Jacquet and Schlammes scored 18 each, and Youssef Essid added 15. Jacquet fouled out, an important factor for Majdi Anan's side in the closing minutes.
T71 had more scoring depth. Jonas Lies (Season PPG: 13.67) finished with 22, Brettner had 20, Jesse Papa Muller (Season PPG: 5.78) added 17, Lux scored 13, and French 16-year-old Daris Honsic (Season PPG: 15.67) contributed 11. T71 also completed a third straight win over Musel after losing the first meeting of the season.
(AI generated)