Sparta Bertrange edged Mambra Mamer 69-67 at nikibett/central in a tense M-U18 Division 2 Phase 2 round-robin. The opening period set the tone with traded baskets and late free throws by Henry Alberto Murray tying it 20-20. The game tilted Mamer's way early in the second quarter despite an unsportsmanlike by Ignas Simkus: the visitors strung together an 8-0 run (from 21-22 to 21-30) to build the night's biggest lead at +9, before Sparta trimmed it to 30-34 at the break.
After halftime an unsportsmanlike on Murray broke the rhythm, and Sparta behind steady free throws from Ari Marinosson (16, ISL) chipped away. A flurry of lead changes closed the third: baskets from Georgios Tsaramanidis and Aaron Torresani (15, ITA) nudged Sparta ahead 50-49.
The fourth swung wildly. Niklas Becker opened with back-to-back scores and Alexis Georges Bourgoignie Martin buried a three for 52-56, but Sparta answered: a 8-2 surge keyed by Marinosson and two timely threes from captain Ata Tastekin (Season PPG: 11.57; 1.91m) pushed the hosts to their largest cushion at 64-58. Mamer replied through Jonathan Henrik Wallenius (Season PPG: 19.17), and after a brief scoreboard correction, Murray (Season PPG: 15.0) hit a cold-blooded triple for 66-67 with under a minute left. Théo Mc Leod (Season PPG: 18.5) then drove for the go-ahead basket and added the extra point after Tadas Stalauskas' foul, sealing the win at 69-67.
Top performers
- Sparta: Marinosson led with 18, Mc Leod added 13 including the game-winner and Tastekin scored 13 from key perimeter shots. Torresani contributed 7 and a crucial late bucket.
- Mamer: Murray poured in 20 with a fourth-quarter three; Wallenius had 16 and scored in bursts after halftime; Bourgoignie Martin added 10 with a big fourth-quarter triple; Stalauskas finished on 12.
Coach Elton Jorge Ferreira's side climbs to first (ranking gain +4). Mamer, coached by Junior Pacome N'Guessan, falls to 0-2 in Phase 2 but sits third (+3). Form notes: Sparta has won four of its last five; Mamer is on a two-game slide after five straight wins.
(AI generated)