Sparta Bertrange overpowered BC Mess 97-65 in the M-Coupe Minis quarterfinal in Mondercange, building control early and breaking the game open after halftime.
Sparta set the tone with a 28-17 first quarter, then held Mess to a draw in the second (18-18) to take an 11-point cushion into the break. The decisive stretch came early in the third: at 36-46, Rafael Ferreira (12) caught fire, scoring eight consecutive points on a 2-3-3 burst to push the gap to 36-54. The quarter finished 26-10 for Sparta, effectively settling the contest.
In the fourth, Petar Kulisic (14) took over the paint and mid-range. He strung together 12 straight points for Sparta four baskets, two free throws, then another basket extending the biggest lead to 35 (53-88) before the final minutes. Coach Yann Ewert's group managed the tempo and repeatedly found the hot hand, whether on the perimeter or inside.
Sparta's scoring was balanced around a dominant top line: Kulisic (14) led with 31, Alexander Möller (13, SWE) added 19, Ferreira (12) had 17, and Anton Mercier (13, FRA) chipped in 15. Mess relied on their trio: Nils Muller (13) scored 22, Noa Priso Dikoume (13, FRA) 20, and Fabio Freymann (13) 20. Despite those efforts, Sparta's third-quarter surge and fourth-quarter control proved decisive.
Key moments
- Q1: Sparta's fast start, 28-17.
- Q3: Ferreira's 8-0 personal run blew the game wide open.
- Q4: Kulisic scored 12 in a row for Sparta, pushing the advantage to its peak.
Mess coach Fernand Musquar used time-outs in the third and fourth quarters to stem the momentum, but Sparta's rhythm out of set plays and free-throw trips kept the scoreboard moving.
(AI generated)