Sparta Bertrange moved into the cup quarterfinals with an 81-71 win at AB Contern in Contern/Central. The hosts opened 5-0, but Sparta steadied to lead 25-21 after the first. The game turned midway through the second quarter: from 26-25 for Contern, Sparta authored an 18-5 run to build a 43-31 cushion and went to halftime up 44-36.
After the break, Victor Stein (28, 1.90m) drilled a three to push the gap to 11, and Victor Chidi Iwuakor (25, 2.01m, USA) strung together multiple baskets, including three straight late in the third, to restore a double-digit margin (63-52 after three). Contern answered with a 9-2 burst to get within 52-57, but Sparta's control of the paint and glass held. The visitors' largest lead came at 76-61 in the fourth, moments after an unsportsmanlike foul on Chris Paul Barton Jr. (29, USA). Barton later converted five free throws in a row to trim it to 71-80, yet Sparta closed it out.
Sparta shot 63% on 2-pointers (good) and won the boards 40-31, offsetting a poor 43% at the line. Contern stayed alive with excellent free-throw shooting (92%) but finished at 47% on 2s and 30% from deep.
Imports made the difference for Sparta: Iwuakor (28 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block) dominated inside, and Jarvis Terrill Williams (36, 1.98m, USA) posted a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double. Among the locals, Stein was flawless from the field (3/3 2P, 3/3 3P) for 13 points, while Max Logelin (22, 1.87m) added 12 points and 9 rebounds; Philippe Arendt (27, 1.86m) chipped in 11, including a timely fourth-quarter triple.
For Contern, Joshua Armani Ferguson (28, 2.03m, USA) delivered 21 points and 15 rebounds (6/6 FT), and Barton Jr. added 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. From the local core, Christophe Mertzig (26, 1.88m) had 10 points; Lazar Lukic (23, 1.95m) scored 8. Coaching battle: Karl Abou Khalil's group imposed its size and tempo, while Gabor Boros' side rode the stripe but couldn't flip the momentum during Sparta's second-quarter surge.
(AI generated)