Arantia Larochette opened its M-U16 Division 3 campaign with an 84-60 home win over Sparta Bertrange B and moved up to 3rd place, a gain of three positions. Sparta Bertrange B stands 4th after the first round of games.
The game began with a major burst from Arantia. The home side raced to 22-0, with 15-year-old Noé Bissen (ARA) scoring five straight baskets during that opening wave and Rui Carlos Silva (ARA) adding a three-pointer. Sparta then changed the rhythm completely. Dimitrios Paspaltzis' team answered with 18 unanswered points to close the first quarter at 22-18, mainly through Jack Canto (SPAB), Samuele Mondello (SPAB) and Francesco Morpurgo (SPAB).
The decisive stretch came in the second quarter. Arantia pushed the score from 22-18 to 47-18, a 25-0 run spanning the end of the first quarter and most of the second. Jang Hoffmann (ARA) opened that period with a three, Silva (ARA) followed with four points, and Arantia's depth appeared with Finn Brosius (ARA), Noa Franssens (ARA), Fabio Valerius (ARA) and 12-year-old Sam Gölhausen (ARA) all contributing. Sparta stopped the slide late in the half through Thor Wintersdorff (SPAB), Ozan Donmez (SPAB) and Mondello (SPAB), but the gap was already 47-28.
Arantia started the third quarter with another strong run, scoring the first nine points for 56-28. From there, Joao Pedro Osorio Silva's side stayed in control. The hosts reached their highest lead at 84-52 late in the fourth quarter before Sparta finished on an 8-0 run.
Bissen led all scorers with 27 points. Gölhausen added 12 and Brosius 10, while Arantia had 11 different scorers. For Sparta, Canto produced 18 points, Mondello 12 and Donmez 11.
(AI generated)