T71 Dudelange controlled this Phase finale game from the start and beat AB Contern 88-61, moving up one place to 2nd in the standings at 4-1. Contern stayed 4th at 2-3. T71 also extended its current run to three straight wins and completed a second win over Contern this season after the 57-38 result in Phase 1.
The game flow was important. T71 opened 7-2 and created a first solid gap at 22-11, but Contern reacted well at the end of the first quarter with 6 points in a row, all from the foul line, to cut it to 22-17. In the second period, T71 quickly rebuilt the margin to 27-17 and never allowed Contern to get really close again. Veena Burgund (Season PPG: 8.14) hit two three-pointers in the quarter and T71 went into halftime up 42-30.
The decisive stretch came in the third quarter. T71 started the half with a 5-0 burst for 47-30. Contern, mainly through Julie Braun Silva (Season PPG: 23.93), reduced the deficit to 59-44, but T71 answered immediately. After Braun Silva's unsportsmanlike foul, T71 closed the quarter with 6 unanswered points for 65-44.
Contern still tried to stay in contact in the fourth and came back to 69-53, then 73-57. T71 answered with strong perimeter scoring: Jil Jander (Season PPG: 4.12) and 14-year-old Katarina Barbic (HRV, Season PPG: 11.79) hit consecutive threes, and the lead grew to 79-57. The highest margin was the final 27 points.
Barbic led T71 with 19 points, Pego Pinto (Season PPG: 10.80) added 14, and Marie Beffort Neuman (Season PPG: 10.62) plus Burgund both scored 11. For Contern, Braun Silva produced 29 points and carried the offense for long stretches. Kadija Macalou (Season PPG: 7.40) added 14 but had foul trouble, collecting three fouls before halftime and fouling out in the fourth. Emily Quirke (15, IRL, Season PPG: 12.50) scored 8. Late in the fourth quarter, coach Dave Schroeder received two personal technical fouls and was fouled out.
(AI generated)