AB Contern B edged BC Mess 53-48 in Mondercan in the W-Nationale 2: Tour qualificatif (Aller, game 5), surviving a strong late push from the hosts. Contern controlled the first half with an 11-0 burst to 4-15 in the opening period and stretched the margin to 34-15 at halftime, their highest lead (+19), behind the steady scoring of Amelie Laure Sybertz (Season PPG: 16.6; 18, 1.82m) and two second-quarter triples from Laura Bernardy (Season PPG: 5.4).
Mess responded after the break. Caroline Pantaleoni (27) and Jenny Hellers (27) powered a 15-10 third quarter to 30-44. Early in the fourth, Hellers hit back-to-back buckets before Jessica Hommel (Season PPG: 6.0) drained a three for 34-49. Mess then authored a 7-0 run Hannah Pauly (27, 1.64m) sank two free throws and a three around a Pantaleoni finish to close to 41-49. Noemie Schammo (25) added a late triple and Hellers kept Mess within two possessions, but Contern held on.
The scoring profile told the story: Contern made 13 free throws and 4 triples, while Mess hit 3 free throws and 3 triples. Mess actually converted more two-pointers (18 vs 14), but the 10-point gap at the line, plus one extra three, proved decisive in a five-point game.
Top performers
- AB Contern B: Sybertz 18, Hommel 14 (two key threes, 4 points from the line), Bernardy 8, Tessy Margue (Season PPG: 8.2) 8. Captain Anne Ludivig (Season PPG: 5.0) added 3 and drew contact at key moments. Coach Anne Ludivig's side managed the early lead well.
- BC Mess: Pantaleoni 12, Pauly 11 (5 in Q4), Hellers 10 (6 in Q4), Schammo 9, Aileen Lucius (27) hit a Q2 three. Pauly, Schammo and Hellers navigated foul trouble with 4 fouls each.
In the new classification, AB Contern B move to 1st (rank +1, 4-1), bouncing back after a loss. BC Mess remain 12th (0-4), their fourth straight defeat. Coach Joao Carlos Santiago Janeiro's team, however, won the second half 33-19 and showed resilience down the stretch.
(AI generated)