In this opening game of M-U18 Division 3 Phase 1, Telstar Hesperange, now 2nd in the table, took a 72-64 road win over Sparta Bertrange B, now 3rd, after a game with several momentum shifts.
Telstar made the first strong move. After Sparta opened 3-0 through Konstantinos Laliotis (SPAB), the visitors answered with a 21-4 sequence to build a 21-7 lead, their biggest margin of the afternoon, before a late three from Mathieu Willem Meurs (SPAB) fixed the first quarter at 21-10. Tomás Giordana Pi (TEL), Grégoire Leclercq (TEL) and Ceylian Lortilloir (TEL) set the tone early.
Sparta reacted well in the second quarter. Samuel Amor (SPAB), Lukas Maver (SPAB) and Tristan Kalman Mosonyi (SPAB) helped cut the deficit, and the home side brought it back to 30-35 at halftime after winning the period 20-14.
The third quarter was the key stretch. Sparta reduced the gap to 49-51, but Telstar closed the period on a 7-0 run. Lortilloir scored five consecutive points in that burst, including a late three, for a 58-49 lead entering the last quarter.
Sparta still threatened. Laliotis and Amor brought it back to 62-64, but Telstar stayed composed. Leclercq scored inside, Gabriel Marques Dos Ramos (TEL) added another basket, and the visitors finished on an 8-2 push from that moment.
Leclercq led Telstar with 17 points, Giordana Pi added 16, Lortilloir 14 and Marques Dos Ramos 10. For Sparta, Laliotis and Amor both had 14, Maver scored 12, and Mosonyi contributed 8. Coach Hichem El Basri's team controlled the first and last major runs, while Christophe Dubois saw his side respond well in the middle stages and keep the game close deep into the fourth.
(AI generated)