Fifth-placed Sparta Bertrange B beat leaders US Heffingen B 87-71 and split the season series after the 86-60 loss in the first meeting. Sparta also bounced back after two defeats.
The game changed quickly. Heffingen moved 5-3 ahead, but Sparta answered with a 17-3 run to close the first quarter at 20-8. Tom Germeaux (Season PPG: 18.00) and Jules Beicht (Season PPG: 9.92) set the tone early, and the home side stayed in control. In the second quarter, Joel Thesen (Season PPG: 25.47) kept Heffingen alive almost by himself, scoring 12 points in the period and helping the visitors reduce the gap to 32-26. Sparta reacted well and closed the half on a 9-2 stretch for 41-28.
Heffingen had another push after the break. Thesen and Pit Reiter (Season PPG: 6.94) brought the score to 49-38, but Sparta answered again. Max Hagen (Season PPG: 17.29), Nicolas Hittelet (Season PPG: 13.75) and 27-year-old forward Charel Wallenborn (Season PPG: 25.83) pushed the lead out to 64-44 by the end of the third.
The visitors opened the last quarter with an 11-3 run to get back to 67-55, but that was the last serious swing. Sparta responded with a decisive 14-2 sequence and reached its highest lead at 81-57.
Wallenborn led Sparta with 21 points, Germeaux added 14, while Hagen and Hittelet had 13 each. Davide Aquaro (SPAB) hit 2 three-pointers but also entered foul trouble with three fouls already in the second quarter. For Heffingen, Thesen finished with 27 points, Frank Jacoby scored 10, and Nils Rock (HEFB) provided 10, including 8 in the fourth. Heffingen stay first, Sparta stay fifth.
(AI generated)