Impressive sweeps for Division II powers Bitburg and Black Forest Academy highlighted the opening weekend of the DODEA-Europe girls basketball season. The schedule holds one more weekend of games before a nearly month-long intermission for the holiday break.

Black Forest Academy 44/46, Wiesbaden 23/14: At Kandern, Germany, the defending Division II champions continued to impress with a sweep of solid Division I outfit Wiesbaden.

Kennedy Willbanks scored 28 points on the weekend to pace BFA, including a 20-point effort on Saturday that eclipsed Wiesbaden’s total output.

Corban Jackson played valiantly in defeat for Wiesbaden, scoring a game-high 10 points along with five rebounds, six steals and three blocked shots on Friday.

Bitburg 26/36, Brussels 20/28: At Bitburg, Elise Rasmussen led the Division II Barons to a pair of victories over the tough Division III Brigands.

Rasmussen posted a triple-double in Friday’s win with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks, then produced 11 points and seven blocks to clinch the Bitburg sweep Saturday. Bitburg teammate Baileigh McFall produced an impressive stat line of her own on Saturday with nine points, eight rebounds and five blocks.

Lexi Cruz scored a combined 18 points and Gloria Hernandez totaled 16 over the two games to lead Brussels.

Sigonella 42/20, Vicenza 39/36: At Sigonella, the Division III Jaguars and visiting Division I Cougars split a spirited weekend doubleheader.

Sigonella took Friday’s opener in overtime behind a double-double effort by Kisiah Chandler, who posted 21 points and 10 rebounds along with five steals. Jessica Jacobs and Hanna Barnes scored seven points apiece in support.

That combined effort rendered moot a dominant performance by star post Adrianna Lovelace, who paced Vicenza with 21 points, 25 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Lovelace posted another double-double and earned her team the win on Saturday with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Cougars outscored the Jaguars 14-1 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

Kaiserslautern 48/40, Ansbach 15/4: At Kaiserslautern, the Division I Raiders overwhelmed their Division III guests.

Kiara Lane scored a combined 37 points on the weekend, including 24 on Saturday. Teammate Le’Jhanique Brown totaled 20 over the two games.

The Raiders face a more comparable opponent next weekend as they visit Division I rival SHAPE.

Stuttgart 42/45, Lakenheath 21/24: At Lakenheath, the Panthers got the upper hand in an opening-weekend Division I clash.

Stuttgart jumped out to a 14-0 lead through Friday’s first quarter and cruised to a runaway doubleheader sweep, winning both games by matching 21-point margins.

The Panthers’ Meaghan Ambelang led all scorers with 13 points in Friday’s game.

Teammates Marissa Encarnacion and Adan Maher shared the lead with 11 on Saturday. Stuttgart continues its early-season Division I swing next weekend with a home set against Vilseck. Lakenheath is off until the other side of the holiday break.

Aviano 30/14, Marymount 13/22: At Rome, the visiting Saints split a set with the Royals. Tiana Link turned in a remarkable offensive performance for the Saints. Link scored 27 of Aviano’s 30 points in Friday’s win, then 11 of the Saints’ 14 points in Saturday’s defeat. Arna Mathiesen scored six points in each game for Marymount.

SHAPE 45, AFNORTH 32: Friday at Brunssum, Netherlands, the Spartans outlasted the Lions.

Efthima Karagianni scored 14 points in the victory. AFNORTH’s Amelie Essrich led all scorers with 15 points in defeat.

The one-off game was a departure from DODEA-Europe’s usual Friday-Saturday doubleheader schedule. The teams will tangle again Jan. 20.

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