US Heffingen edged Sparta Bertrange 88-86 at atert/central after a tight finish. The visitors blasted out of the blocks with a 0-13 start, their largest lead (+10), before Sparta steadied to close the first quarter at 19-20 and reach halftime up 42-41. The hosts stretched it to +5 twice (59-54 late in Q3, 64-59 to open Q4), but the game swung repeatedly in the final period.
Heffingen's balance and free-throw volume proved decisive: they sank 27 free throws (to Sparta's 8) and added seven made threes. Thomas Killian Quarry (26, 2.01m, USA) led all scorers with 24, scoring inside, from deep and at the line, while Luke Henry Haasl (24, 2.08m, USA) added 15, including two timely triples. Austin Joseph Parker III (26, 1.96m, USA) posted 13 and Lee Bourgeois (23, 1.95m) chipped in 10. In the key stretch from 81-79 down, Frank Jacoby (26, 1.85m) scored five points in a row (2+3) and Robert Brinck (26) followed with a basket for a 0-7 run to 81-86 that broke the game open.
Sparta relied on 24 made two-pointers and 10 threes. Tom Germeaux (20, 1.99m) led with 20 and had a personal 4-0 burst to put Sparta back up 71-69, then hit two late free throws to close to 86-88. Isak Semedo Linder (21, 1.91m, SWE) added 12 with two threes, Victor Chidi Iwuakor (26, 2.01m, USA) 11, and Philippe Arendt (27, 1.86m) 10, while Victor Stein (28, 1.90m) and Nicolas Hittelet (27, 2.00m) each contributed nine.
Game flow defined the outcome: Heffingen's opening 0-13 punch, Sparta's recovery to a narrow lead through three quarters (61-59), and a decisive late 0-7 answer from Coach Alexis Kreps' team. Coach Karl Abou Khalil's side still had a final push Nikolaos Papanikolaou (17) buried a late three for 84-86 but Heffingen closed at the stripe. Notable sequence: youngster Ata Tastekin (16, 1.91m) committed four personal fouls in a row during Q4, a factor in Sparta's late foul penalty pressure.
(AI generated)