Black Frogs Schieren, 2nd in the classification, controlled a 61-43 home win over 11th-placed BC Mess and completed the season sweep after the earlier 58-45 away result. Diogo Jesus Lopes' team is now on a seven-game winning streak.
Schieren set the tone immediately with a 10-0 start, driven by Elisa Thill (Season PPG: 16.36) and Marie Palma (Season PPG: 12.30). Mess needed Caroline Pantaleoni's three free throws in a row to get on the board, and the visitors stayed close enough at 16-11 after the opening quarter.
The game tightened in the second period. Hannah Pauly (Season PPG: 10.94) helped Mess trim the gap to 21-19, which was one of the key moments. Schieren answered well: Ana Margarida Resende Cerqueira and Eve Weber (Season PPG: 13.76) gave fresh points, and Sonia El Hammiri (Season PPG: 10.67) added calm scoring for a 33-24 halftime lead.
The decisive stretch came in the third quarter. FRO limited Mess to 6 points and extended the margin to 41-24, their first 17-point lead, after Palma, the 23-year-old French guard, hit from long range. Mess still had productive work from Pauly and Noémie Schammo (Season PPG: 8.94), both finishing with 14 points, but the visitors could not build a sustained run.
Mess made one last push at the start of the fourth, cutting it to 45-36 with back-to-back threes from Lynn Thilges and Pauly. Schieren replied quickly. Weber, despite having three fouls before halftime, produced a strong closing sequence and scored 7 straight team points to make it 57-41. Thill finished with 16 points, Weber 14 and Palma 11, while Pantaleoni added 10 for Mess, including 8 made free throws.
(AI generated)