Musel Pikes, now 2nd (+1, 5-1), controlled Basket Esch from the opening minutes and won 87-57. Esch stayed 4th at 3-4.
MUS opened 7-0 through Magaly Meynadier (Season PPG: 17.33, RPG: 6.67, AssPG: 3.67) and Ella Joy Gallatin (Season PPG: 19.33, RPG: 10.00, AssPG: 4.22), but Esch replied through Joy Baum and Jovana Jaksic to level at 7-7 and briefly move ahead 8-7. That spell did not last. Musel closed the first quarter on a 19-8 run for 26-16, with Gallatin and Alexandra Weber taking over.
The second quarter gave the game its shape. After 32-18, Esch reduced the gap to 37-29, but Musel answered immediately. Devon Brookshire (32, 1.90m, USA) scored 8 points in the period and the hosts reached halftime at 49-32. Esch never got closer than 17 after the break. In the third, Tatsiana Likhtarovich kept LAL alive with two made threes, yet Gallatin and Lesley Leches extended the margin to 69-48. Sophie Beffort Neuman opened the fourth with a three for 72-48, and Musel later reached a 30-point lead.
Musel's advantage came from efficiency: 83% on free throws, a good 51.2% on 2-pointers and 33.3% from three, against 69.2%, 45% and 19% for Esch. Gallatin was MVP with 26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals and 5 assists, shooting an excellent 100% on free throws and 80% on 2-pointers. Meynadier added 17, Weber hit an excellent 3/4 from deep for 10 points, and Brookshire finished with 12 points and 5 assists.
For Esch, Likhtarovich (Season PPG: 19.67, RPG: 5.25, AssPG: 2.00) scored 17 on excellent 3/5 from three, Baum had 14, Jaksic 13, and Eden Nibbelink (Season PPG: 12.00, RPG: 8.25, AssPG: 0.50) posted 11 points and 9 rebounds before fouling out.
(AI generated)