First-place BC Mess moved up one spot into the lead of the W-U16 Division 3 phase finale and extended its run to three straight wins with a clear 83-31 home result over fourth-placed Racing Luxembourg.
BC Mess, coached by Joao Carlos Santiago Janeiro, set the tone immediately. After Racing's only early basket made it 4-2, Mess answered with a 7-0 push to 11-2 and closed the first quarter 21-3. The second period contained the key break of the game: Mess went from 21-3 to 32-5, Racing answered with a 7-0 run to 32-12, but the home side then produced a decisive 13-0 burst to halftime, from 32-12 to 45-12.
The game never tightened after the break. Mess opened the third quarter with another 10-2 stretch, moving from 45-12 to 55-14, and the lead stayed above 35 the rest of the way. In the fourth quarter, Mess again had a 7-0 sequence, from 62-21 to 69-21. The highest lead was the final margin, 52 points.
Hannah Meysembourg (Season PPG: 22.00), the 14-year-old captain, led Mess with 23 points despite four fouls, and Maéna Barandao-Bakele (Season PPG: 14.00) added 20. Eve Schumacher (Season PPG: 5.71) scored 12, Lara Da Costa Nobrega (Season PPG: 6.25) had 11, and Julie Marx (Season PPG: 1.92) hit three 3-pointers for 9 points. Mess had five scorers with at least 9 points.
For Racing, captain Emma Peccati (Season PPG: 12.75) finished with 13 points and kept attacking throughout the game. Margaux Brun (Season PPG: 4.40) contributed 9, Lucia Maestro Varillas (Season PPG: 4.40) scored 5, and 15-year-old Finnish player Bella Kraama (Season PPG: 2.00) added 4. Racing's most difficult stretch came around halftime, when the team allowed 24 points across the end of the second quarter and start of the third.
Mess also completed the season sweep against Racing after the earlier 89-35 away win.
(AI generated)