Zesummen Aktiv left Bertrange with a 50-37 win in the M-U18 Division 6 Phase 2 round-robin, reversing the one-point loss from Phase 1 (56-55 for Sparta). The visitors set the tone in the first quarter: after Sparta briefly led 11-10 on a three by David Alves Dos Santos, Nathaniel Guth answered with a flurry inside and ZAK closed the period 13-18. Coach Isabelle Grainne Mulcahy burned an early timeout, but the second quarter belonged to ZAK's defense, limiting Sparta to just four points for a 17-28 halftime gap.
Sparta's best spell came right after the break, a 4-0 start to 21-28 that forced coach Angelo Monteiro to stop the game. ZAK responded immediately: Guth and then Paul and Thomas Gerin pushed it to 21-34, and although Sparta trimmed to 27-37 by the end of the third, the decisive blow came early in the fourth. From 31-37, captain Jim Braun hit back-to-back baskets inside a 6-0 run to 31-43. Kevin Michaux added key points and Jeff Braun closed it out, scoring the last basket as ZAK finished on a 3-0 mini-run.
Guth led all scorers with 16, Jim Braun added 14, Michaux 7 and Jeff Braun 4. For Sparta, Lukas Maver (SPAC) and Aurélien Nils Vernaison (Season PPG: 7.20) paced with 8 each, Mert Bugra Kuzu (Season PPG: 5.50) had 6 and Luc Blanc (Season PPG: 5.78) 4. Foul trouble hampered Sparta's rhythm: Alves Dos Santos picked up two quick fouls in the second quarter and a third late, while Kuzu collected two fouls in quick succession in the third.
Form and table context matter: ZAK snapped a rough stretch of defeats with this win. Despite the loss, Sparta climbs to 2nd in Phase 2 (2-2), while ZAK stays 5th (1-3).
(AI generated)