AB Contern, 4th in the phase finale standings, won 52-40 at Sparta Bertrange and completed a 3-0 season sweep in this matchup. Dave Schroeder's team also extended its current recovery to two straight wins after a three-game losing streak, while 6th-placed Sparta stayed winless in this phase.
Sparta started better and created early control at 6-2, with Quineth Safira Lucy Zaal (NLD, Season PPG: 7.87), Hanna Rotink (Season PPG: 15.50) and captain Lilly Engels (Season PPG: 10.56) giving the home side rhythm. Contern then settled through the 15-year-old Julie Braun Silva (Season PPG: 23.06), who scored three points in a row from the line and became the central figure in the comeback. After Sparta still led 23-21, Contern flipped the game and reached the break in front at 28-24.
The decisive stretch came after halftime. Céline Kerschen (Season PPG: 5.89) hit from long range for 24-31, Braun Silva kept producing, and Contern moved from 25-31 to 25-35. Later, from 30-39, the visitors added another 5-0 push, and Sofia Nunes Lopes (Season PPG: 8.41) scored 4 straight points for a 50-37 advantage, Contern's biggest lead at 13.
Braun Silva led all scorers with 21 points, well supported by Nunes Lopes with 12. Emily Quirke (Season PPG: 11.94) added 6, Kerschen 5. For Sparta, Zaal scored 10, Rotink 9, Engels 7 and Lynn Blanc (Season PPG: 2.25) 6. Foul trouble hurt Patrick Roilgen's side in the second half, with Rotink, Kleio Chatzinikoli (Season PPG: 4.93) and Engels all reaching four fouls before the final margin was set.
(AI generated)