AB Contern opened the championship round with a commanding 81-52 win over Kordall Steelers in Contern, controlling the game from the start and never trailing. A 10-2 opening burst, fueled by Efe Denizlerkurdu (17, TUR) and Roman Casanova Zaychenkov (16, ESP), set the tone and led to a 20-8 first quarter. The second period balanced out (14-14), but Contern still reached halftime up 34-22.
The third quarter decided it. Contern outscored Kordall 26-12, repeatedly finding points inside with Emil Dostert (15) and riding a surge from Niels Daniel Keane (15, IRL), who poured in 11 in the period, capped by a late three for 60-34. The hosts stretched the gap to a highest lead of 31 (81-50) before settling the final margin.
Denizlerkurdu led Contern with 24 points, including four three-pointers and a personal 7-0 run in the fourth (three, two, two) that killed any hint of a comeback. Dostert added 18 on eight made two-pointers, while Keane finished with 16. Casanova Zaychenkov had 13 and strong early minutes before fouling out in the fourth.
For Kordall, Abriel Adam (14) led with 17, hitting three triples in the last quarter. Captain Tomas Cerqueira Santos (17, PRT) scored 12 on steady drives, and Mickael Pereira Briga (15, PRT) contributed 9. Despite a couple of mini-runs, Kordall couldn't contain Contern's third-quarter pace.
Coach Anthony Franck Tomba's side snaps a three-game losing streak and moves to first place in the Phase finale (ranking gain +1). Kordall, coached by Micheline De Oliveira, sit fourth and continue a difficult run with five losses in a row. Earlier this season the matchup between these teams was decided by forfeit; this time, Contern left no doubt on court.
(AI generated)