Luxembourg's men's national basketball team played their sixth and final match of the EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifiers on Sunday.
In front of 2,000 supporters at the Coque in Kirchberg, Luxembourg suffered a 66–80 defeat to North Macedonia. The Red Lions struggled to settle into the game, with little going right offensively for national coach Ken Diederich's side. They trailed 27–46 at half-time.
Luxembourg responded in the third quarter and reduced the deficit to 10 points, but were unable to put their opponents under sustained pressure. North Macedonia always found an answer, retained control, and ultimately secured a comfortable victory.
Ben Kovac led Luxembourg with 17 points, while Clancy Rugg scored 14 and Dorian Grosber added 10. The team's shooting from long range proved costly, with Luxembourg converting just three of their 20 three-point attempts.
Luxembourg finished second in Group A thanks to a better head-to-head points difference than Azerbaijan and Ireland, who also ended the campaign on eight points.
However, only the best second-placed team across the three groups advances to the next round, meaning Luxembourg's campaign has come to an end.
Luxembourg 89–77 Ireland
Azerbaijan 90–95 Luxembourg
North Macedonia 79–70 Luxembourg
Ireland 91–85 Luxembourg
Luxembourg 74–76 Azerbaijan
Luxembourg 66–80 North Macedonia
North Macedonia: 6 matches, 10 points
Luxembourg: 6 matches, 8 points
Ireland: 6 matches, 8 points
Azerbaijan: 6 matches, 8 points
