Phase finale leaders Etzella Ettelbruck won 78-63 at Kordall Steelers and stayed first in the group at 3-0. KDS are third at 1-2.
The game changed sharply over time. Kordall, coached by Gianluca Pellegrino Ombroni, started much better and led 21-8 after the first quarter. The home side even reached its biggest advantage at 31-12 in the second period. Captain Sabobo Daiana Gomes Djassi (Season PPG: 26.88) carried that phase with 21 first-half points and KDS still had a 36-27 lead at the break.
Etzella, under Romain Beckers, then built the comeback step by step. Early in the third quarter, ETZ opened with 6 unanswered points to get back to 36-33. KDS answered and restored an eight-point margin at 47-39, but Etzella finished the quarter strongly and cut it to 53-51.
The decisive moment came in the last quarter. After KDS moved to 55-51, Etzella produced an 8-0 run for a 59-55 lead. Kordall tied at 59-59 and briefly went back in front at 61-59, but ETZ answered immediately with 8 straight points to make it 67-61. After Ema Babacic (Season PPG: 13.80), only 13 years old, scored for 63-67, Etzella closed the game with 11 unanswered points.
Hannah Maes (Season PPG: 16.86) was decisive for the winners with 34 points, including three 3-pointers, and Jil Ries (Season PPG: 13.09) added 24. Rica Karamaga (Season PPG: 7.20) and Hannah Eliza Johanns (Season PPG: 3.82) both scored 10. For KDS, Gomes Djassi finished with 32 and Babacic added 15.
Foul trouble also hurt Kordall. Tyana Amou (Season PPG: 10.43) picked up three fouls in the opening quarter and later fouled out, while Emma Kazic (Season PPG: 13.43) also reached five fouls. Etzella are now on a three-game winning streak after a long losing run earlier in the season, while KDS have lost their last two.
(AI generated)