T71 Dudelange edged Sparta Bertrange 82-78 in a close final-phase game and completed a third win over Sparta this season after the earlier 64-54 and 82-72. Mike Baseggio's team moved up to 1st place at 6-0, while Sparta stayed 3rd at 3-3. T71 has now won 16 straight games.
The game was largely in Sparta's hands for three quarters. T71 started 6-0, but Sparta answered with 9 consecutive points and led 18-15 after the first quarter. In the second period, Sparta created the first major gap with a 13-2 run from 23-22 to 36-24, then went to halftime in front 40-33. The away side also restored a 12-point lead early in the third quarter at 45-33 before T71 cut it back to 66-60 entering the last period.
The decisive stretch came in the fourth. T71 went from 61-69 to 67-69 with 6 unanswered points, then stayed close until Lara Jemming (Season PPG: 16.56) pushed the home side ahead. Sparta still recovered to 78-78, but Marie Beffort Neuman scored for 80-78 and Elsa Guedes added the final two free throws after a late unsportsmanlike foul.
Jemming led T71 with 22 points. Matilde Pego Pinto (T71) added 18 in only her 3rd game, Guedes had 12, and captain Alana Krings scored 13 before fouling out after being in foul trouble from the first half on. For Sparta, Nicole Torresani (Season PPG: 21.73) finished with 30, while 17-year-old 1.82m Slovak forward/center Tereza Liska (Season PPG: 21.25) added 22. Chiara Sahaia Rasolofo contributed 9.
(AI generated)