Black Star Mersch left Bertrange with a 93-82 win and a 4-0 start in Phase 2, built on a dominant first half and enough composure to withstand Sparta's late surge. After an 8-8 opening, BSM broke the game open with a 23-9 burst bridging quarters, highlighted by Sam Tibold's two three-pointers on either side of the break and steady inside scoring. The visitors led 51-39 at halftime and stretched it to 73-51 after three.
BSM's edge came from the paint and the stripe: 36 made two-pointers and 12 free throws, versus SPAB's 32 twos and just 3 free throws. Captain Trey Sean Boayue (34 pts, 16 made 2s) was relentless near the rim, and Tibold (32 pts; Season PPG: 26.56) mixed drives, trips to the line and timely threes. Leandro Da Silva Nunes (10 pts; Season PPG: 11.88) supported, with DUARTE ALMEIDA EVORA (BSM) adding 8.
Sparta reacted late under coach Christophe Dubois: a 19-2 fourth-quarter run, powered by Konstantinos Laliotis (16; Season PPG: 11.77) and Martin Cezard Mangel (18; Season PPG: 8.60) with back-to-back threes, and Jazz Pelkes (18; Season PPG: 8.64) inside, cut it to 82-91. Boayue earlier strung together six straight points to steady BSM, and Nil Madoki Bidas closed it out. Starter Yann Kunzer Da Silva (7) fouled out in the fourth after two quick fouls in Q2 had put him on the edge. VERNAISON (SPAB) added 13.
Coach Jérôme Hansen's side remains top of the table (1st, 4-0), now on a four-game winning streak. Sparta sits 4th at 1-3.
(AI generated)