Saarlouis Royals controlled their friendly at Ins from the tip, beating Basket Esch 87-52 after a fast start and a dominant finish. The visitors opened 7-0 and closed the first quarter at 27-10, fueled by perimeter shot-making. They then strung together a 10-0 burst to begin the second frame (10-37), before Esch finally steadied. Halftime read 27-45, the third stayed balanced (16-17), and the Royals closed with a 25-9 fourth quarter to reach their largest lead of 35 at the horn.
For Esch, the experienced duo of Tatsiana Likhtarovich (37, 1.78m, BLR) and Eden Elizabeth Nibbelink (26, 1.80m) carried the load. Likhtarovich posted 15 points and hit 3/6 from deep (good), while Nibbelink added 14 with an excellent 2/2 at the line and 2/3 from three (excellent). Jovana Jaksic (33, 1.77m) scored 13 and was perfect at the stripe (3/3, excellent). From the local core, Katia Jemming (19, 1.53m) contributed 5 on 2/3 inside (good), Elisa Thill (20, 1.80m) hit a three, and Kyra Coulon (21, 1.78m) finished 1/1 on two-pointers.
Esch's team shooting underscored their offensive struggles: 6/7 free throws (86%, good), but only 14/37 on twos (38%) and 6/22 from three (27%). Outside of Likhtarovich and Nibbelink (combined 5/9 from long range), the rest went 1/13. Ball security was an issue with 23 turnovers, outweighing 10 assists, while the glass was nearly even (24 team rebounds).
Saarlouis' scoring was broad and timely. Martha Burse (SRO) poured in 25, repeatedly finishing in the paint and punctuating runs. Jessika Schiffer (SRO) struck from distance for 14, including four triples, and Elina Koskimes (SRO) set the tone with the game's first five points on her way to 13. Emma Eichmeier (SRO) added 11 with steady mid-range work. Coach Karim Elbaoune's side briefly rallied in Q2 and kept contact in Q3, but Matiss Rozlapa's team found answers each time, notably with an 11-0 surge to start the fourth (43-71) that shut the door.
(AI generated)
Basket Esch 
Saarlouis Royals 