After a short winter break, basketball in Luxembourg is back this weekend with the 15th game day in the men’s LBBL and the 14th game day in the women’s LBBL.
The men’s league will restart with the top game scheduled in Steinsel as the current champion and league leader Amicale is hosting Basket Esch. Jarvis Williams returned to Luxembourg during the winter break and the team became even stronger with his addition. The game against Esch should become a great showdown between two of the strongest teams this season.
US Heffingen is facing the most pressure to start the new year. With a record of 1 win and 13 losses, Heffingen needs victories before the start of the play-down. With a new coach, Juan Manuel Nardini, and a new professional player, Cory Johnson, the team will travel to Bertrange and face a Sparta team that is also under pressure as the team of coach Christophe Flammang is sitting in 10th place with a 4:10 record. Heffingen’s only victory this season was against Sparta back in October. All 4 teams that are currently on a spot in the play-down face each other this weekend: The Musel Pikes look to sty in touch with the 8th place and need a win against Zolwer at home while the guests’ focus is on reducing the deficit towards a possible direct opponent in the race against relegation.
On Saturday:
20:00 Musel Pikes – AS Zolwer
20:00 Sparta Bertrange – US Heffingen
20:15 T71 Dudelange – Gréngewald Hueschtert
20:30 Résidence Walfer – AB Contern
20:30 Amicale Steinsel – Basket Esch
On Sunday:
17:15 Etzella Ettelbruck – Arantia Larochette
The standings in the women’s league are not the best indicator to determine the strength of the teams at this point. Teams have played between 9 and 13 games so far and the only unbeaten team, T71 Dudelange, is only 6th in the standings at the winter break. On Saturday, the current champion is in action at home against Gréngewald Hueschtert, both teams participated in the EuroCup competition and can now focus on the national championship and cup competition, both face a loaded schedule over the next weeks. AB Contern has been the positive surprise of the season and the team of coach Fabienne Fuger is currently the league leader with a 10:2 record. However, Contern faces a difficult challenge on the road against Résidence Walfer, a team that is looking to stay under the best 4 teams. At least one out of the 11 LBBL teams team is going to relegate to the second league at the end of the season, the bottom 3 teams will play in the relegation round against the best two teams from the National 2. The winless team from Zolwer and Wiltz (1 win, 12 losses) looks like the two teams that could be in danger. Zolwer has improved after the signing of Jade Compton and recently added Lele Grissett, another professional player. With these additions, the team should become competitive and it might be a good chance to turn the season around.
On Saturday:
18:00 T71 Dudelange – Gréngewald Hueschtert
18:00 Musel Pikes – AS Zolwer
18:30 Amicale Steinsel – Basket Esch
18:30 Résidence Walfer – AB Contern
On Sunday:
15:15 Etzella Ettelbruck – Sparta Bertrange
