League leader Gréngewald Hueschtert stayed perfect with a fourth straight win, beating Basket Esch 67-60 in a close Phase 1 game. Esch, now fourth despite a ranking gain of one place, has lost three in a row.
GRE set the tone early at 23-14. Dorkas Von Arx (18, 1.80m) was already productive and Gréngewald reached 25-14 early in the second quarter. Basket Esch then reacted well under coach Karim Elbaoune. Kim Ferron (LAL) scored twice in a row, Emma Wallenborn (17, 1.69m) added key baskets, and the home side turned 23-29 into a 30-29 lead. At halftime, it was 33-33.
The decisive stretch came in the third period. After 35-37, Gréngewald controlled the tempo and won the quarter 22-9 to open a 55-42 lead. Von Arx kept converting, while Leisha Burridge (18, 1.75m) and Roya Milani Nia (Season PPG: 3.8) brought important support.
GRE extended the margin to its highest point at 59-42, but Esch made one last push. Wallenborn led the comeback, Ferron kept the pressure on, and Marcia Rocha Fernandes (LAL) helped cut the gap to 60-63 with a 12-2 run. In the key late sequence, Von Arx scored the last 4 points of the game to secure the win for coach Andrea Haris.
Von Arx led all scorers with 26 points, including 8 made free throws. Wallenborn also had 26 for Esch, despite 4 fouls. Ferron added 16 and Rocha Fernandes 10. For GRE, Burridge scored 8, Milani Nia 8, Maé Manti (18, 1.60m) 7 and Célia Abessolo Minane (17, 1.70m) 4.
(AI generated)