T71 Dudelange edged Résidence Walferdange 66-61 in the W-U16 Division 1 Phase finale, repeating their Phase 1 win (70-59). The visitors controlled the first half, closing Q1 up 17-11 and stretching the gap to 20 points at 40-20 in Q2 on sustained production from Matilde Pego Pinto and captain Shari Von Arx. Résidence answered before the break as 14-year-old captain Jill Stoltz (Season PPG: 16.92) poured in eight consecutive points to cut it to 28-40.
T71 kept a firm grip through the third (55-41). Early in the fourth, Pego Pinto opened with back-to-back baskets for 41-59. From 47-62, Résidence produced the game's biggest swing: a 14-0 run featuring Maella Faye (Season PPG: 9.42) inside, Rachel Grivet (6.57) attacking, and six straight points from Caroline Charles (14.92) free throw, drive, then a corner three to pull within 61-62. In the final minute, Von Arx calmly sank two free throws and Jana Dos Santos Dramianin finished at the rim for the decisive 4-0 close. A late unsportsmanlike foul on Faye and the disqualification of key scorer Treyscha Boayue (15 years, Season PPG: 13.57) on fouls hurt the home push.
Top performers:
- T71: Pego Pinto 18 (Season PPG: 10.18), Von Arx 16 (11.22) with clutch late free throws; Ghalia Hatim 9 (5.08); Dos Santos Dramianin 7 (10.23). Katarina Barbic and Laura Kieffer added important threes.
- Résidence: Stoltz 19, Grivet 15 (three triples), Faye 15, Charles 8 with the late burst.
Coach Yves Marchi's side led for long stretches and found answers in crunch time; Coach Christophe Fiegen's team showed resilience, nearly erasing a 20-point deficit. In the Phase finale table, T71 sit third at 2-1, Résidence are fifth at 0-3 and on a three-game skid.
(AI generated)