Racing Luxembourg edged Entente RES AMI 87-85 after overtime in Steinsel and, with this close win, climbed two places to 1st in the M-U18 Division 1 Phase finale. ERA remains 5th at 2-3.
ERA, coached by Thorsten Freiheit, controlled the first half. Jules Reuter (Season PPG: 21.00) and Tim Geisen (Season PPG: 11.00) drove the offense early, and the home side built the biggest lead of the game at 27-12. ERA still had a solid 42-33 advantage at the break.
Racing, under Hristo Stoykov, changed the flow after halftime. The 1.89m guard Louis Cocard (Season PPG: 13.87) ignited a 9-0 run from 50-39 to 50-48 in the third quarter, and Oskar Berger (Season PPG: 13.00) kept the pressure high. From late in the third into the start of the fourth, RAC added another 9 unanswered points to turn 61-53 into 61-62.
ERA reacted well. Geisen stretched the floor again and Noah Terence Stansbury Daleiden (Season PPG: 13.00) helped push the hosts back in front 77-69. Racing stayed composed, though, and the 17-year-old Lithuanian Sarunas Sulcas (Season PPG: 15.33) hit the tying 3-pointer for 79-79 at the end of regulation.
In overtime, Pete Rajniak (Season PPG: 12.57) opened with a 3, Stefan Stoykov (Season PPG: 23.07) added 2, and Cocard knocked down the key triple for 80-87. ERA answered through Reuter and Geisen, but Racing kept the narrow edge.
Geisen finished with 25 points, matching his season high, including seven 3-pointers. Reuter added 22 and Riley Wohl (Season PPG: 11.06) 16. Racing placed five players in double figures: Sulcas 21, Berger 18, Cocard 17, Stoykov 14 and Rajniak 11.
(AI generated)