Leidsche Rij won 81-66 at Basket Esch and controlled the game for long stretches. The visitors were already 23-13 ahead after the first quarter, then pushed the margin to 47-33 at halftime. Their early response after Esch's 2-0 start was important, with a 7-0 answer and later another strong sequence to build the first double-digit lead.
Basket Esch had its best phase late in the third quarter. Joy Baum (24, 1.66m) and Lena Mersch (29, 1.73m) kept the home side in range, while Jovana Jaksic (34, 1.77m) helped cut the deficit to 50-59. That was a key moment, but just after that Bruna Filipa Fonseca Cracel (22, 1.72m, PRT) received a disqualifying foul, and Leidsche Rij answered immediately through Kim Schrama (LED) to close the quarter at 62-50.
In the fourth, Leidsche Rij regained full control. Kathelijne van Bennekom (LED) and Anna Ekerstedt (LED) made the difference, and the lead reached 22 points at 80-58. Coach Vincent Gevrey was also charged with a technical foul during that stretch.
Baum finished with 20 points for Esch, Mersch added 14, and Tatsiana Likhtarovich (38, 1.80m, BLR) scored 12. Jaksic and Eden Elizabeth Nibbelink (27, 1.80m) both had 9. For Leidsche Rij, van Bennekom led with 16, Schrama scored 13, Ekerstedt had 12, and the visitors also got balanced support from Bente van Beers (LED) with 8, Nadia Hilla (LED) with 8, and Floor Kuijt (LED) with 6.
(AI generated)