Sparta Bertrange controlled the second half to win 93-74 at Black Star Mersch in M-U18 Division 2. The game swung through clear phases. Black Star started on a 9-0 run behind early baskets from Sam Tibold (16) and captain Trey Sean Boayue (15). Sparta answered through Ata Tastekin (16, 1.91m, TUR), who strung together three consecutive field goals for a personal 6-0, and Tho Mc Leod (17, 1.79m, FRA). After a first-quarter correction, the hosts won Q2 25-18, tying it 45-45 at halftime.
Coach Elton Jorge Ferreira's team broke it open in the third. Jorge Leocadio Botelho hit a series of mid-range finishes, Jules Wurth scored back-to-back baskets, and Georgios Tsaramanidis added a three for a 29-19 quarter. Sparta then opened the fourth with a 9-0 burst (two FTs from Diego Maestro Varillas, a triple and a two from Nikolaos Papanikolaou), pushing the gap to 64-83. The highest lead reached 19, which also stood as the final margin.
Sparta's balance was decisive: Tastekin 18, Mc Leod 17, Papanikolaou 13 (two timely threes), Botelho 12, Wurth 10, with Gaspard Lesselin adding two key fourth-quarter triples. Tastekin managed four personals without fouling out and remained a factor.
For Black Star, Boayue led with 22, Tibold added 20, and Leandro Da Silva Nunes had 12. Rui Dias Dos Santos chipped in 9, including a third-quarter three. Coach Jerome Hansen's side rode strong spells but could not match Sparta's third-quarter pace and early fourth-quarter run.
In the table, Sparta climbs to 3rd (2-2, +2 ranks) and is now on a two-game winning streak after opening with two losses. Black Star slips to 5th (1-3, -1).
(AI generated)