Amicale Steesel controlled the final stretch to beat Basket Esch 79-62 in Steinsel, closing a strong fourth quarter after a balanced first half. Esch opened sharper, up 18-12 after Q1 and by as many as 11 (32-21) midway through the second. Amicale responded with a 10-0 burst, fueled by a Desiree Ramos triple and a Julie Mangen three, trimming it to 31-32 before the break. After three quarters Amicale led 55-53, and an early Esch three by Kyra Coulon made it 57-56. From there, the hosts delivered a decisive 22-6 run.
Kathryn Jo Missavage (17, 1.80m) was the closer: 14 of her 20 points came in the fourth, including eight in a row in the last three minutes (3-3-2) to push the game out of reach. A'lexus Shaquann Harrison (AMI) imposed herself on the glass and passing lanes with 17 points, 17 rebounds and 6 steals, while Ramos (31, 1.70m, USA) added 16 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Mangen (AMI) hit timely shots for 17 points, including three triples.
For Esch, Jovana Jaksic (33, 1.77m) led all scorers with 27 points and 12 rebounds, a model of efficiency at the line (6/6, excellent) and solid inside (10/19 on 2-pointers). Tatsiana Likhtarovich (37, 1.78m, BLR) contributed 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, while Coulon chipped in 8 points with 2/3 from deep.
Team figures explain the swing: Amicale won the boards 48-38, had more assists (13-8) and two fewer turnovers (15-17). Shooting was mixed: AMI 78% at the line (good), 42% on 2s and 30% on 3s; Esch 86% FT (good) but 37% on 2s and 20% from three. Coach Paul Missavage's side flipped the momentum after halftime, while Karim Elbaoune's team saw its early edge fade under the late surge.
Amicale climbs to 2nd in the W-Enovos League qualification phase at 2-1, now on a two-game winning streak; Basket Esch sits 5th at 1-1. Highest leads: Esch +11 in Q2; Amicale +17 at the finish.
(AI generated)