Etzella Ettelbruck, second in the classification, controlled this Phase finale return game against third-placed T71 Dudelange from the opening minutes and won 96-71. Coach Nelson Delgado's team has now won at least three games in a row, while T71 stays on a losing run.
The key moment came immediately. Etzella opened on a 13-0 run and closed the first quarter 28-10. Marvin Delgado dos Santos (Season PPG: 24.89) set the tone early, and Lenny Lopes Morais (Season PPG: 18.75) gave scoring punch from both inside and outside. T71 only settled after Kevin Fernandes Vaz, 17, from Cabo Verde (Season PPG: 14.37), hit from long range.
Etzella pushed the gap to 40-12 in the second quarter, the game's first major break. T71 answered with an 8-0 run to reduce the deficit, helped by Jonas Lies (Season PPG: 15.15) and Fernandes Vaz, but Etzella still went to halftime up 49-30.
T71 had its best offensive stretch after the break. Jesse Papa Muller (Season PPG: 5.90) scored T71's first 8 points of the third quarter in a row, and the visitors cut the margin to 16. Etzella did not lose control, though. Lopes Morais, Delgado dos Santos and Noah Wolter (Season PPG: 14.85) answered quickly, and the home side restored a 74-55 lead after three.
In the last quarter, T71 could not create a second comeback. Charel Brettner, the 1.93m forward/center (Season PPG: 18.06), had already picked up two fouls in quick succession in the first quarter and later fouled out, which hurt T71's resistance. Etzella stretched the lead again, with Giovanni Palermo Cardoso adding 11 points and Stéphane Silva, 18, from Angola, knocking down a late three.
Top scorers were Lopes Morais with 29, Delgado dos Santos with 26, Wolter with 19 and Palermo Cardoso with 11 for Etzella; Fernandes Vaz led T71 with 16, while Lies and Papa Muller added 13 each. After losing the first meeting this season, Etzella has now beaten T71 three straight times.
(AI generated)