Basket Esch edged T71 Dudelange 81-76 in the 2nd Round, overturning a 17point firsthalf deficit and snapping T71's 12game winning run. T71 blitzed the start with an 8-0 opening and stretched it to 36-19 in the second quarter, riding Lauren Van Kleunen (25 pts, 9/15 2P, 2/6 3P, 8 reb, 1.88m) and Shalonda Winton (13 pts, 10 reb). The hosts led 43-30 at halftime.
The game flipped after the break. Under coach Karim Elbaoune, Esch dominated the third quarter 25-12 to tie it 55-55, with Tatsiana Likhtarovich (24 pts, 7/12 2P, 3/6 3P, 9 reb, 4 ast; 37 years, 1.78m, BLR) and Kyra Coulon (7) sparking the surge. The decisive sequence came from 69-69 in the fourth: Likhtarovich hit for two, then Eden Elizabeth Nibbelink strung five in a row (a drive and a three) for a 7-0 burst to 76-69. Jovana Jaksic added calm at the line, going 4/4 in the closing minute.
Esch shot 42% from three (11/26, good) and 77% at the line (10/13, good), outgunning T71's 30% from deep. Nibbelink authored a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double on an excellent 5/6 from three, while Jaksic (10 pts, 6 ast, 4 stl, 6/7 FT) impacted both ends. Bruna Fonseca (9) and Coulon supported.
For T71, beyond Van Kleunen and Winton's work on the interior, Catherine Mreches (15 pts, 5/8 2P, 2/2 FT) and Svenia Nurenberg (11) provided scoring, and Beatriz Ines Gomes Jordao added a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double. Coach Mathieu Pierre Fivet's side still controlled the glass (39-29) but couldn't match Esch's perimeter efficiency.
Esch had lost both qualification meetings against T71, making this away win notable. Their late surge delivers a second straight victory in their current sequence, while T71 absorb a first setback after twelve wins. Attendance: 187 (144 paying).
(AI generated)