Sparta Bertrange booked a clear 105-80 road win in Schieren to reach the cup semi-finals, breaking the game open after a balanced first quarter (28-29). The hosts stayed in touch early behind Eric Anderson (26, 2.00m, USA) and Khyree Armstead (25, 1.96m, USA), but the second quarter belonged to Sparta, 14-28.
A pivotal stretch came mid-second quarter: Jarvis Williams (36, 1.98m, USA) knocked down eight consecutive free throws in a 9-1 swing that flipped momentum and pushed Sparta ahead 35-38. Soon after, Victor Iwuakor (25, 2.01m, USA) added three straight baskets, and the visitors entered halftime up 42-57. After the break, Max Logelin (22, 1.87m) splashed multiple threes and Philippe Arendt (27, 1.86m) added another as Sparta kept control to 63-84 after three. Iwuakor then opened the fourth with six points in a row, stretching the lead to the night's maximum, +27 (63-90). Black Frogs briefly halted the slide with three straight free throws from Gabriel Solomon (23, 1.83m, PHL), but Sparta's rotation, including Lennart Holsten (29, 2.05m, DEU) and 16-year-old Nikolaos Papanikolaou (GRC), closed out.
Among Sparta's non-homegrown scorers, Williams led with 22, Iwuakor added 21, Holsten 8. From the local core, Logelin hit 17 (five threes), Yannick Verbeelen (26, 1.91m) 12, Arendt 8, captain Victor Stein (28, 1.90m) 6. For Black Frogs, Anderson posted 18 and Armstead 15; support came from Alexandre Pereira Meireles (24, 1.96m, PRT) with 9, Nemanja Mladenovic (20, 1.90m) 6, Solomon 5, Rafael Melicio Paiva (27, 1.75m, PRT) 5.
Intensity showed with several technicals, including one to each bench, as Coach Karl Abou Khalil's team controlled the middle quarters. Early foul trouble hurt the hosts' rotation Borian Tymi (19, 2.00m) picked up three quick personals in the first quarter while Coach Nigel Tolentino's group couldn't stem Sparta's runs. Sparta advances to the 1/2 finales.
(AI generated)