Second-placed Arantia Larochette took a second win over T71 Dudelange C in this phase finale, this time 80-72 at home after the earlier one-point success away. It stayed tight for long stretches, but Arantia were the winners in the key moments.
T71C edged the first quarter 18-17. Arantia had gone up 8-3 behind early baskets from Charles Wilhelm (Season PPG: 15.07) and Philippe Volvert (Season PPG: 20.86), but Luka Babovic, the 16-year-old French guard, kept T71C in rhythm and the visitors closed the period in front.
The game turned in the second quarter. From 26-26, Arantia produced a 9-2 push, with Volvert, Noé Bissen (Season PPG: 10.17) and Jim Spaus (Season PPG: 15.47) all scoring, to move to 35-28. That gave coach Joao Pedro Osorio Silva's team a 35-30 halftime lead.
Arantia then had their best stretch after the break. They opened the third quarter with a 9-2 run to 44-32 and later reached a highest lead of 13 points at 49-36. Wilhelm and Volvert carried much of that phase, but T71C answered well and cut it back to 55-49 entering the fourth.
T71C threatened seriously in the last quarter. Leo Muller (Season PPG: 6.55), Sergiu Lisnicenco (Season PPG: 7.25) and Babovic helped reduce the gap to 61-60, then 68-68 was in sight after successive scores made it 70-68. Arantia responded with the decisive burst: Volvert scored 6 points in a row for 76-68, and Wilhelm added the late three for 80-70.
Volvert and Wilhelm finished with 25 points each for Arantia. Spaus added 11 and Bissen 7. Volvert also handled two quick first-quarter fouls without losing impact. For 4th-placed T71C, Babovic led with 24, Daris Adrovic, 14, from Montenegro, had 13 despite reaching four fouls, and Muller added 9.
(AI generated)