Black Frogs Schieren took a clear 56-38 home win over Kordall Steelers in Phase finale play, a notable reversal after losing the three previous meetings of the season, including the forfeit game in January. In the new table, KDS are still 1st, while FRO climb to 3rd.
The game was shaped early. Schieren opened with strong defensive control and led 12-4 after the first quarter. Débora Teresa Dos Santos Kitumba, the 16-year-old Portuguese captain, set the tone immediately and helped FRO close the period on a 6-2 spell. The second quarter confirmed the trend: KDS reduced the gap to 20-14, but Schieren answered through Dos Santos Kitumba again and went into halftime up 26-15.
The third quarter was more balanced at 12-12. KDS tried to stay alive behind Ema Babacic (Season PPG: 14.50), who kept producing inside and from the line, and Emma Kazic (Season PPG: 12.22), who hit a three-pointer. Still, FRO never lost control of the pace and kept a double-digit margin.
The decisive push came at the start of the fourth. Schieren moved from 38-27 to 42-27, then later finished with the last four points for their biggest lead at 18. Coach Diogo Jesus Lopes got a disciplined response from his team after KDS had shown resilience in the middle quarters.
Dos Santos Kitumba (Season PPG: 20.71) dominated with 32 points, exactly matching her season high, and scored in repeated bursts all game. Lara Costa Matias (Season PPG: 2.50) added 10 points, and Maely Venancio Postel (Season PPG: 6.67) gave FRO 8.
For KDS, 13-year-old Montenegrin Ema Babacic led the way with 18 points, while Kazic added 10 and Tyana Amou (Season PPG: 10.22) scored 8. Kazic's foul trouble mattered: she collected four fouls from late in the second quarter into the third, then fouled out late in the fourth.
(AI generated)