AB Contern won a close game at Musel Pikes, 79-70, by taking back control in the last quarter after a strong third-period push from the home side.
Contern started sharply. Caileigh Ann Walsh (Season PPG: 24.33, RPG: 8.79, AssPG: 2.42) scored the first 8 points of her team and helped build an early 13-6 lead. Musel stayed in touch through Anne Mreches and Mackenzie Farmer (Season PPG: 18.67, RPG: 8.41, AssPG: 2.91), but Contern still led 22-20 after one quarter and 44-38 at halftime.
The key swing came after the break. Marc Hahnemann's team opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run, turning 38-44 into 48-44. Julie Nilles, Alexis Pana (Season PPG: 12.63, RPG: 6.07, AssPG: 3.27) and Farmer drove that sequence, and Musel pushed the margin to 60-53 late in the quarter.
Fabienne Fuger's side answered immediately in the fourth. Stefanie Grace Kulesza (Season PPG: 20.83, RPG: 10.53, AssPG: 2.68) and Esmeralda Skrijelj (Season PPG: 10.78, RPG: 10.00, AssPG: 10.58) erased the deficit at 60-60. After Pana briefly restored a 63-60 Musel lead, Contern went on the decisive stretch: Petrova hit back-to-back threes for a 68-63 advantage, then Walsh scored 9 consecutive Contern points to lift the visitors to their biggest lead, 79-67.
Walsh finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds, Kulesza added 27 points on good efficiency (6/7 FT, 8/18 2PT), and Skrijelj delivered a triple-double: 10 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. For Musel, Pana scored 18, Farmer had 15 points and 9 rebounds, and Mreches added 11.
Team-wise, Contern made the difference on the boards, 44 rebounds to 23, and also had 21 assists. Musel shot a good 88.9% on free throws and committed only 9 turnovers, but the fourth quarter, 23-10 to Contern, decided the game.
(AI generated)