Avanti Mondorf controlled the second half to defeat Sparta Bertrange C 69-49 in the M-U18 Division 5 Phase finale (round-robin). Sparta opened with a 7-0 burst to 9-4 and edged the first quarter 18-17, but Mondorf flipped the game at the start of Q2 with back-to-back threes from Daniel Mihaylov and Arthur Ladonet for 18-23. Sparta briefly regained the lead at 30-29 on an Eduard Vevecka (SPAC) triple, yet Mondorf closed the half on a 9-2 run for 32-38.
The third quarter proved decisive: Ilan Ernzer hit consecutive baskets and Mihaylov kept the pressure on as Mondorf won the period 17-8 to lead 55-40. In the fourth, Mihaylov scored on back-to-back possessions for 44-63, and Martin De Pinho Brandao added two straight buckets to stretch the gap to 46-69, the night's largest margin (+23).
Mondorf's edge came inside and in overall shot-making: 30 field goals (26 two-pointers, 4 threes) to Sparta's 19 (17 two-pointers, 2 threes). Sparta got to the line more (9 made FTs to Mondorf's 5), but couldn't match the visitors' scoring bursts.
Individually, Daniel Mihaylov (Season PPG: 9.5) delivered a season-high 22 points with two triples. Arthur Ladonet (16, France) added 17, including 5 free throws, while Max Muller had 8. De Pinho Brandao scored 8 and later fouled out; Ernzer's 4 came at a key moment; Mathéo Hirth and Aleksa Savic chipped in 6 and 4. For Sparta, Vevecka (SPAC) led with a season-high 14, Arthur Simon-Brutel (SPAC) added 11 with 5 free throws, and Claudio Sartorati (Season PPG: 3.11) matched his season-high with 10; Jim Thiry had 5 amid foul trouble.
Coach Nebojsa Nikolic's group steadied after Sparta's start, while Isabelle Grainne Mulcahy's time-outs couldn't halt Mondorf's mid-game run. After seven straight losses, Mondorf finally recorded a win and climbs to 3rd in the phase standings (+4). Sparta sits 8th (-2) at 0-2.
(AI generated)