© Ketty a Rom Hankes
On Sunday, the third match of the men's Enovos League "Best-of-Five" final took place, with Etzella Ettelbruck clinching the basketball championship.
Etzella Ettelbruck have been crowned Luxembourgish champions for the 16th time following an 87:80 victory against T71 Dudelange. The home side secured the title with a convincing 3:0 sweep of the series.
From a purely statistical perspective, Etzella Ettelbruck were already the favourites for the championship, having won every match leading up to the final with an average margin of 22 points.
Both teams started the match nervously, with poor scoring success in the first quarter. After the opening 10 minutes, Etzella held a narrow lead of 16:15. In the second quarter, Dudelange, driven by Dino Ceman, managed to build momentum and establish a 9-point lead (34:25). Although Ettelbruck temporarily lost their rhythm, they managed to turn the game around by half-time, leading 37:36 at the break.
After the sides switched ends for the second half, the match remained tightly contested. Dudelange struggled with foul trouble, as both Dino Ceman and Joe Kalmes fouled out early. Etzella took full advantage in the closing stages, gradually pulling away.
Despite Dudelange's best efforts, Etzella had the sharper finish and were able to celebrate victory after a thrilling match.
Quatarrius Wilson made a decisive impact with 33 points, supported by Jimmie Taylor (28 points) and Philippe Gutenkauf (18 points).
