La Rochette saw off Racing Luxembourg 96-85 in the Total League on Friday evening. The hosts moved up a place in the table while the visitors remained rooted in tenth. It was a result I had called for, and with a fair bit of confidence too.
By then the pattern was already familiar to anyone watching closely. La Rochette had lost to Muzel Pyx on Wednesday, a narrow defeat that could have rattled them. Instead they came out sharp, hitting their rhythm early and never letting the visitors settle.
And here's the thing about these games — they are decided in three or four spells, not over forty minutes of grinding. Racing Luxembourg had won comfortably against Coddal Steelers last time out, but that form evaporated against a side that knew what they wanted. The home side man-marked the playmaker and forced turnovers in key moments.
To be fair, Racing did not lack effort. They had beaten Amical Stössel 96-81 in September and shown they could score in bunches. But tonight they were caught in possession too often and gave away cheap fouls at critical junctures. The old head on the La Rochette bench settled them down when the game threatened to slip away.
The result keeps La Rochette in the hunt for the top spots, four games clear of the pack below. Racing Luxembourg have not won since their last outing and now face a difficult run. The scoreline tells you everything — a straight knockout for the hosts, who saw it out without drama.
