Nitia Bettembourg B controlled the second half to win 82-70 at Atert (terrain 2) against Sparta Bertrange C. The opener was tight: Sparta edged the first quarter 20-19 on the early scoring of Florian Loic Strauch (30, DEU), while Eric Picco (32) answered with two triples for Nitia. The second quarter remained a chess match, with Wesley Almeida (19) heating up from deep and at the line, and Max Flies (34) steady for Sparta. Halftime: 38-40.
The game flipped after the break. Danny Weiwers (39) drilled back-to-back threes for 48-44, but Nitia replied with a 15-0 run: Elvin Muhovic (29, SCG) and David Picco (30) finished at the rim, Almeida struck from outside, and E. Picco added a free throw and a three. An unsportsmanlike foul on Weiwers in that spell compounded Sparta's woes. Nitia closed the third up 65-53 and never looked back. In the fourth, Flies' shooting and Kevin Andrade Alves (34) trimmed the gap, yet Noah Butler's late triple restored the cushion; Nitia's largest lead reached 15 (67-82).
Nitia's local standouts: E. Picco poured in 31 (6 FTs, five 3PT), Almeida added 21, with D. Picco (8), Muhovic (9) and Ben Molling (31, 1.86m) (8) contributing. Other contributors: Anatole Joseph Duban (20, FRA). For Sparta, Flies and Weiwers led with 18 each, Philip Groff (39) had 10, and Andrade Alves 11; Strauch added 11, Farzam Molkara (45) 2. From long range, Nitia hit 10 threes to Sparta's 6.
Coaches were directly involved: NITB's Eric Picco guided and led by example; Sparta's coach Philip Groff added 10. In the classification, Nitia jump to 3rd (+7), bouncing back after an opening loss, while Sparta sit 7th after a split start (win, loss).
(AI generated)