Kordall Steelers took a tight first-round cup game at Mondercange, beating BC Mess 64-54 and separating only in the last quarter.
Mess started better and led 6-0, but Kordall answered with a 9-0 run to move in front and edge the first period 9-8. The home side then produced one of its best stretches early in the second quarter: baskets from Yara Heilbronn (MES) and Kim Sowa (MES) helped turn 8-9 into 18-11. Kordall reacted immediately. Audrey Guyot (36, FRA) was central in a 12-2 response, and the visitors went to halftime ahead 30-28.
The game stayed close after the break. Mess tied at 30-30, then moved 40-38 in front. Hannah Pauly (MES) gave the hosts strong outside scoring on the way to 11 points, while Caroline Pantaleoni (MES) added 9 and Lynn Thilges (MES) 7. For Kordall, the winners in this close game were the leading trio: Alisha Staar (KDS) with 18 points, Guyot with 18, and Nikita Julian (KDS) with 10. Julie Nestorovic (38, FRA) added 9, including an important third-quarter three, before fouling out.
The key swing came late in the third and early in the fourth. Kordall closed the third on a 5-0 sequence for 47-42, then pushed the margin to 49-42 and later 54-45. Mess stayed in contact for a while, but foul trouble hurt the hosts: Jil Heck (28, 1.81m) and Jenny Hellers (MES) fouled out, and the gap reached a game-high 13 points at 64-51.
Both coaches also received technical fouls in the middle quarters. Kordall moves on from this elimination round.
(AI generated)