Basket Esch controlled their W-Coupe Filles-Scolaires quarterfinal in Walferdange, winning 57-80 after a commanding start. Following an early exchange to 6-7, Esch closed the first quarter with a 10-0 run to 13-27. Estelle Birnbaum (LAL) strung together seven straight points in that stretch before Ajla Adrovic (LAL) capped it with a three. Résidence's captain Jill Stoltz (RES) picked up two quick fouls and a third before the first break, complicating the hosts' rotation.
Résidence steadied in the second quarter (17-16), with Kyra Schanck (RES) scoring inside and Caroline Charles (RES) adding from deep, while Treyscha Boayue (RES) provided a spark. Still, Esch kept a 26-40 cushion at halftime. After two quick baskets by Résidence to reach 34-43 early in the third, Esch answered with a decisive 9-0 burst: Anaïs Gocel (LAL), Lana Clausi (LAL), a Birnbaum triple and Adrovic pushed it to 34-52, and the visitors took the period 10-17. In the fourth, Ella Wilmes (RES) hit from long range and Stoltz and Maella Fatima Faye (RES) scored in the paint, but Birnbaum and Gocel ensured Esch's lead never narrowed meaningfully. The largest gap came at the horn, +23.
Top performers
- Basket Esch: Birnbaum (28) led all scorers; Adrovic (18) was a constant threat; Gocel (10) supported well. Captain Kim Ferron (8) and Clausi (7) added solid minutes. The 15-year-old French guard Gocel underlined the visitors' backcourt depth.
- Résidence Walferdange: Boayue (13) led the hosts off the bench, Wilmes (11) added two fourth-quarter threes, while Schanck (8), Faye (8) and Stoltz (8) contributed; Charles (7), a 15-year-old from Great Britain, chipped in.
Key sequences: Esch's 10-0 close to Q1 and 9-0 midway Q3 defined the game. Free throws punctuated the first-quarter surge, with Birnbaum adding two in that run. Coaches Karim Elbaoune (LAL) and Christophe Fiegen (RES) traded time-outs, but Esch managed the momentum throughout.
(AI generated)