Phase finale leader Telstar Hesperange won a very tight game at Sparta Bertrange, 80-78, and stayed perfect at 4-0 with a fourth straight victory. Sparta, now second after a one-place rise despite the defeat, has lost three in a row. The season head-to-head between these teams is now 2-1 for Telstar.
Sparta controlled the first half for long stretches. Coach Ferreira's team opened with a 27-11 first quarter, powered by Maximilaan Flechtner (Season PPG: 6.00), who scored 11 early points, and Jorge Leocadio Botelho (Season PPG: 8.22). The highest lead reached 16 points. Telstar responded in the second period through Raffaele Santi (Season PPG: 12.67), the 17-year-old Italian guard/forward, and captain Jules Cochet (Season PPG: 13.87), cutting the gap to 41-32 at halftime.
The third quarter remained balanced at 26-26. Sparta still found answers with 16-year-old Icelandic Ari Marinosson (Season PPG: 10.56), who finished with 22, matching his season high, while Nikolaos Papanikolaou (Season PPG: 9.38) added 13. Even so, Telstar stayed close enough at 67-58 entering the last quarter.
The finish flipped completely. Sparta went up 76-63 and still led 78-71, but coach Agada's side closed on a 9-0 run, part of a wider 17-2 surge from 76-63. Santi was the main force with 29 points, matching his season best. Cochet added 17, and Juan Joyner Lopes da Costa dos S. (Season PPG: 5.37) scored the decisive basket for 80-78 after the 78-78 tie. Flechtner, important in Sparta's strong start, later fouled out.
(AI generated)