AB Contern won a close first semi-final in Bertrange, 82-75, and leads this best-of-3 series 1-0 after stopping Sparta's four-game winning streak and their 3-0 head-to-head run from the same season.
Game flow was sharp and unstable. Sparta started better, with Adryana Michelle Quezada (Season PPG: 21.30, RPG: 11.58, AssPG: 1.42) scoring 10 of her team's first 12 points for a 18-15 first-quarter edge. Fabienne Fuger's team changed the rhythm in the second period: Contern won it 26-12, moved in front 41-30 and reached its biggest lead at 11. Ana Petrova (Season PPG: 11.32, RPG: 7.00, AssPG: 3.45) was important in that phase with perimeter scoring.
Sparta answered strongly after the break. Mike Feyder got a 28-13 third quarter, with Jordan Alexis King (Season PPG: 20.47, RPG: 7.36, AssPG: 4.32) and Quezada pushing the home side back to 58-54. But the last quarter swung again. After Sparta led 71-70, Contern produced the decisive late sequence: a 12-1 run to 82-72/82-74 territory, turning a one-point deficit into control of the game.
Contern's offensive efficiency from outside was a major difference: 13/27 from three, a good 48.1%, against Sparta's 4/17 (23.5%). The visitors also protected the ball better, 6 turnovers to 11, and had more steals (8-2). Sparta was slightly better on the boards, 35-33, and shot a good 83.3% on free throws; Contern was also good there at 86.7%.
Caileigh Ann Walsh (Season PPG: 24.32, RPG: 8.77, AssPG: 2.50), the game MVP, finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 1 block, including an excellent 9/10 at the line and 3/4 from three. Esmeralda Skrijelj (Season PPG: 10.68, RPG: 9.73, AssPG: 10.27) added 9 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals, while Stefanie Grace Kulesza (Season PPG: 20.58, RPG: 10.14, AssPG: 2.77) scored 16.
For Sparta, Quezada carried the scoring with 31 points, King had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, Nicole Torresani (Season PPG: 16.19, RPG: 5.10, AssPG: 1.43) scored 13 with an excellent 9/10 on free throws, and Lena Mersch (Season PPG: 9.53, RPG: 3.44, AssPG: 1.24) added 11 on 7/8 free throws.
(AI generated)