Second-place Sparta Bertrange extended its winning streak to four and completed a 3-0 season sweep of third-place AB Contern with a 76-64 home win.
The game turned quickly in the first quarter. After Contern scored the opening basket, Jordan Alexis King (Season PPG: 20.50) put Sparta in control with 9 consecutive points, including three straight triples, and the hosts moved from 0-2 to 9-2. Sparta kept that rhythm and closed the period ahead 25-14.
The second quarter brought Sparta's strongest stretch. Lena Mersch (Season PPG: 9.44) hit back-to-back threes and Joy Have added another, giving the home team a 34-14 lead with a 9-0 run to open the quarter. Contern responded through Stefanie Grace Kulesza (Season PPG: 20.83), Nadine Bourg and Caileigh Ann Walsh (Season PPG: 24.33), cutting the deficit to 39-29 at halftime.
Contern came even closer after the break. Claire Lavandier's three and two Walsh free throws brought it to 39-34, but this was the crucial moment. Sparta answered strongly: from 45-39, the hosts finished the third quarter on a 14-0 run through King, Bridget Yoerger (Season PPG: 7.43), Mersch, Nicole Torresani (Season PPG: 16.40) and Adryana Michelle Quezada (Season PPG: 20.22). Contern also picked up a coach technical in that sequence, and Sparta led 59-39 after three.
The gap reached 71-42, Sparta's highest lead. Contern still pushed in the last quarter, winning it 25-17. Ana Petrova (Season PPG: 11.06), the 44-year-old Bulgarian guard/forward, scored 9 consecutive points on three straight threes and led a 22-5 finish from 71-42 to 76-64.
King led Sparta with 25 points and five threes. Mersch added 14 with four threes, while Quezada and Torresani scored 12 each. For Contern, Walsh had 14, Petrova and Kulesza 12 each, and Esmeralda Skrijelj (Season PPG: 10.78) added 10. Walsh and Skrijelj both had four fouls during the chase.
(AI generated)