BC Mess edged Arantia Larochette B, 62-59, in Mondercan after a tense fourth quarter. The opener was balanced (14-14), then Mess took control in the second behind captain Hannah Meysembourg's shot-making to build a 37-27 halftime lead.
The third quarter flipped the script: Arantia strung together a 13-0 run from 37-27 to 37-40, sparked by Yara Mores and Maëly Horta Mascarenhas, plus a free throw from Michele Elsen. Mess replied immediately with a 9-0 burst Julie Marx drilled a timely three to tie it and Maéna Barandao-Bakele added back-to-back scores to restore a 46-40 cushion entering the fourth.
Mess pushed the gap to +10 (56-46), but Arantia refused to fold. Mathilda Würth (13) rattled off five straight points to make it 58-57, then later knocked down two late free throws to pull within 61-59. Elsen (11) fouled out in the closing stretch, and Barandao-Bakele iced it with the final free throw for 62-59.
Standouts:
- BC Mess: Meysembourg (37; Season PPG: 19.67; 14) matched her season high and scored nearly 60% of Mess's total. Barandao-Bakele (13; Season PPG: 10.67; 14, France) delivered crucial buckets in the third and fourth. Marx (6) hit two momentum threes; Eve Schumacher added 6.
- Arantia: Mores (17) led the visitors, Würth's late surge kept them in it, and Horta Mascarenhas (10; Season PPG: 6.33) drove the third-quarter comeback.
Mess's highest lead was +10; Arantia briefly led by three. In the table, Mess jumps to 2nd (+3), Arantia sits 3rd. Notably, Mess halted a seven-game losing streak with this result, while Arantia couldn't build on their previous win. Coaches Joao Carlos Santiago Janeiro (MES) and Pedro Nunes Jordao (ARAB) both saw big momentum swings, but Mess held their nerve at the finish.
(AI generated)