As Expected, it’s Ansbach vs. AFNORTH for small-schools throne

Ansbach forward Elizabeth Agudzi-Addo drives between Spangdahlem defenders Summer Mundy, left, and Kylie McVey during a Division III semifinal on Feb. 13, 2026, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

WIESBADEN, Germany – Spangdahlem didn’t try to hide its game plan for Ansbach ahead of Friday’s Division III semifinal of the 2026 DODEA European basketball championships.

Simply, the Sentinels were going to blanket center Kennedy Lange with two players – oftentimes with one player in front of her and another behind.

It sounded great in theory, but it hit two snags during Ansbach’s 54-32 victory at Wiesbaden High School: One, the Cougars weren’t surprised by the scheme, and two, it didn’t factor in the rest of Cougars.

“I don’t think it even fazed us,” Ansbach guard Victoria Ortiz said. “We know what we have to do, we know what our job is and we got it done even when they had a plan (for us).”

Coach Shannon Daniels said it took his team a minute to get its bearings. At the 7-minute, 2-second mark, Lange put the Cougars on the board after Bailey Eickmeyer found the 6-foot senior in the paint.

It was all Ansbach after that, as the tournament’s top seed ran wild. The Cougars’ trap defense forced turnover after turnover, and it helped get them going, as well as open the floor for Lange to drop a game-high 20 points.

Ortiz was one of the players who took advantage of the turnovers as well as the attention on Lange. The 5-5 senior totaled 16 points.

AFNORTH guard Emery Koger goes for a layup after bumping into Brussels guard Brigh Richard during a Division III semifinal at the 2026 DODEA European basketball championships on Feb. 13, 2026, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

AFNORTH forward Izzy Trosper shoots over Brussels forwards Nino Kapanadze, left, and Maddison Powell during a Division III semifinal at the 2026 DODEA European basketball championships on Feb. 13, 2026, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Brussels guard Chrysoula Karakonstantis holds off a challenge from AFNORTH forward Madelyne Hatfield during a Division III semifinal at the 2026 DODEA European basketball championships on Feb. 13, 2026, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Brussels guard Brigh Richard tries to pass around a leaping Clara Pacios of AFNORTH during a Division III semifinal at the 2026 DODEA European basketball championships on Feb. 13, 2026, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Brussels forward Sonia Desir passes in the ball during a Division III semifinal against AFNORTH at the 2026 DODEA European basketball championships on Feb. 13, 2026, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Another was Elizabeth Agudzi-Addo. The senior forward showed her range with a three-pointer in the second quarter as part of 10 first-half points. She finished with 12.

“She gets a little too low on the block, so we’ve been trying to push her up a little bit higher,” Daniels said. “She does have some good post moves, but she’s effective because she can drive to the bucket, she can pull out and hit a three. She’s a versatile athlete.”

Senior captain Kylie McVey led the Sentinels with eight points.

Up next for the Cougars is a title-game rematch with AFNORTH, which held on to beat Brussels 28-20 in the first semifinal.

The Lions had a 13-point advantage at halftime, but the Brigands trimmed it to six points with 3 minutes remaining in the game. The tournament’s second seed and two-time defending champion stalled much of the final 2 minutes of the game to see it out.

“You can’t win a championship without getting to the championship game,” AFNORTH coach Matt Wise said. “Sometimes, it’s pretty; sometimes, it’s not so pretty.”

Even the players themselves admitted they were somewhat lost on the court during the second half, which allowed Brussels to get back into it.

“We were a little bit nervous because we didn’t know why we were doing things wrong,” said senior wing Clara Pacios, who had seven points in the victory. “Our mentality wasn’t there. I think coach Wise helped us get our mentality up.”

Emery Koger posted a game-high 12 points for the Lions.

Sonia Desir paced the Brigands with six points.

After Friday morning’s scare, Pacios said she and her teammates must recognize that a third straight crown and the four over five years isn’t a gimme.

“We need to work harder as a team because (Ansbach) is a harder team,” Pacios said. “We cannot underestimate them.”

The Cougars also aren’t taking the Division III powerhouse lightly, while being confident in themselves.

“We know not to underestimate our opponents, but also not underestimate ourselves,” Ortiz said. “We know what we can do, what we came here to do and that’s honestly all that matters.”

Ansbach center Kennedy Lange goes up for a shot underneath the basket against Spangdahlem center Summer Mundy during a Division III semifinal on Feb. 13, 2026, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ansbach guard Victoria Ortiz catches a pass on the fast break ahead of Spangdahlem guard Lexi Lauer during a Division III semifinal on Feb. 13, 2026, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Spangdahlem point guard Aniya Robinson drives to the basket as Ansbach guard Mya Henderson defends during a Division III semifinal on Feb. 13, 2026, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Spangdahlem power forward Kylie McVey and Ansbach forward Elizabeth Agudzi-Addo fight for the ball during a Division III semifinal on Feb. 13, 2026, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)