Sparta Bertrange controlled Musel Pikes 94-55 in the 2nd Round, building a 31-18 first quarter and never looking back. Mike Feyder's team tightened the screws in the second (44-29 at half) and broke the game open with a 32-11 third period, including a 7-0 spurt midway through the quarter that pushed the lead past 30. The margin peaked at +43 (90-47) before the final buzzer. Marc Hahnemann's side had won a tight 81-79 meeting in January, but this time the gap was decisive.
Sparta's edge came inside: 34/50 on two-pointers (68%, good) versus Musel's 11/26 (42%). Even with both teams at 6/13 from the line (46%) and Sparta only 6/23 from three (26%), the hosts dominated the paint, the glass (39-32), and the turnover battle (11 vs 24), converting 12 steals into easy points.
Nicole Torresani (Season PPG: 16.71, RPG: 5.18, AssPG: 1.41) led with 30 points and a strong third-quarter burst. Adryana Michelle Quezada (24, 1.79m, USA) added 20 on an excellent 7/8 inside outing. From the domestic core, Cathrin Wolff (Season PPG: 6.50) supplied 13 on 5/7 twos and 2/3 threes (both excellent percentages), while Lena Mersch (Season PPG: 9.73) hit 16 with 3 triples (60% from deep, excellent).
For Musel, Mackenzie Farmer (26, 1.88m, CAN; Season PPG: 18.25, RPG: 8.35) posted 16, including two first-quarter threes to keep contact early. Anne Mreches (Season PPG: 9.10) had 11 with two second-half threes, and captain Julie Nilles (Season PPG: 9.80) added 8, hitting 2/3 from distance (excellent) and a pair of free throws.
Context matters in this league: Sparta dressed two professionals to Musel's one, a factor that weighs heavily at this level. In the standings after this game, Sparta sit 2nd at 11-4, while Musel are 6th at 3-12.
Notable sequences:
- First quarter: Jordan King sank two straight free throws during Sparta's early push.
- Third quarter: a 7-0 Sparta run stretched the lead from 65-39 to 72-39 and effectively settled the contest.
(AI generated)