Sparta Bertrange B edged Telstar Hesperange 70-68 in a tense M-U14 Division 3 Phase 2 game at Atert, decided at the line by Oskar Nagy (12, SVN), who hit late free throws to seal it.
The start was all Sparta: a 12-4 burst behind William VasdoJensen and Ioannis Metaxas. Telstar flipped the script with a 14-1 answer to lead 18-13, taking the first quarter 18-17. Sparta steadied in Q2 as Alessandro Giannini and VasdoJensen scored repeatedly for a 35-32 halftime edge.
After the break, VasdoJensen remained the go-to option, but Andrei Ionescu (13, ROU) kept Telstar in step, and it was 49-49 entering the fourth. Telstar struck first: Ionescu scored twice and captain Stanislaw Jan Kwasniewski buried a three for 56-53. Sparta replied with the game's key swing: an 8-0 run four straight from VasdoJensen, then four more by Nagy for 63-59. The finish was a free-throw duel. Sparta's bench drew a technical (coach Tine Nagy), Telstar's Kwasniewski picked up a T1 and later fouled out, and with the score 69-68, Nagy added the decisive point at 70-68. Telstar's John Wecker committed two personals in succession during the closing stretch, stalling a last push.
Top performers
- Sparta: William VasdoJensen 22 (Season PPG: 5.88), Oskar Nagy 19 (Season PPG: 8.17) with clutch fourth-quarter scoring, Alessandro Giannini 10 (Season PPG: 5.07, fouled out), Ioannis Metaxas 9.
- Telstar: Andrei Ionescu 14 (Season PPG: 5.83), Martin Giordana Pi 13 (Season PPG: 8.50), Stanislaw Jan Kwasniewski 12 (Season PPG: 8.00) before fouling out, Martin Fritsch 9 (Season PPG: 8.40).
Sparta's largest lead was +8 (12-4), Telstar's was +5 late in Q1. Sparta climb to 2nd (2-1) and have won two of their last three; Telstar drop to 0-3 in Phase 2 and are on a three-game skid, 4th in the table.
(AI generated)