Sparta Bertrange B won 84-60 at Telstar Hesperange and kept first place in the M-U16 Division 4 final phase with an 8-0 record, extending its winning streak to eight games. Telstar, now 4th with a ranking gain of one place, stayed in the game for a half before the break came in the third quarter.
Telstar started better and led 6-0, with Gabriel Marques dos Ramos, 16, from Portugal, quickly setting the tone. The first quarter ended 13-13, and Coach Romas Degutis' team still had the upper hand late in the second period at 33-25. Sparta closed the half with a 7-0 run to cut it to 33-32.
That was the turning point. Sparta opened the second half with an 18-1 burst, flipping the game from a one-point deficit to a 50-34 lead. Jakob Kavas Puc (Season PPG: 12.33) was central in that phase, scoring 11 points in the third quarter, while Loïc Schmit (Season PPG: 4.62) and Andrew Blanchard, 15, from the USA, also hit important baskets. Sparta won the quarter 29-7 and never let Telstar back in.
Marques dos Ramos finished with 23 for Telstar, while Mathis Adehm (Season PPG: 10.28) added 16 and Axel Hosten (Season PPG: 7.67) 12. Tao Ozier-Lafontaine scored 5 straight points in the first quarter.
For Sparta, Kavas Puc led with 16, captain Vasileios Paspaltzis (Season PPG: 11.52) had 15, David Alves dos Santos (Season PPG: 8.42) 13, Schmit 12 and Blanchard 11. Coach Dimitrios Paspaltzis also got useful depth, with Sparta's highest lead reaching 28 points late in the game. It was Sparta's third win over Telstar this season.
(AI generated)