Sparta Bertrange edged US Heffingen 71-69 in a tight M-U18 Division 2 championship-round game on atert/terrain1, climbing to the top of the group (2-1) while Heffingen slipped to 0-3.
Sparta burst out 10-0 behind two early threes from Gaspard Thorel Lesselin (FRA, 16) and led 17-10 after the first. Heffingen, guided by coach José Alberto Pais Costa, answered with a 22-18 second quarter, fueled by Danilo Hess (23 pts; 17 years, 1.90m) who kept finding lanes and touch from the line, and Nils Rock (22) hitting from deep. At halftime Sparta still held a 35-32 edge.
Coach Christian Michael Wulff's team rebuilt a cushion in the third (58-52) as Thandizo Jon Zulu scored twice inside and Nikolaos Papanikolaou (GRC, 17) added a triple. Heffingen never led but kept coming: early in the fourth, Ethan Steinmetz (17) strung together a free throw and a three to pull Heffingen level at 62-62. In a tense finish, a Sparta three was erased by a score correction, but Papanikolaou steadied the hosts with a two, Georgios Tsaramanidis added another basket, and after Steinmetz splashed a late three (68-67) Papanikolaou drilled the decisive triple for 71-67. Steinmetz scored again (71-69), yet Sparta managed the final seconds to secure the win.
Top performers
- Sparta: Papanikolaou (15) paced the hosts and hit the game-winner; Ata Tastekin (12) was a constant presence inside; Lesselin added 11 with timely threes; Ari Marinosson (ISL, 16) brought 8 valuable points off the blocks.
- Heffingen: Hess (23) was relentless from two-point range; Rock (22) combined perimeter scoring and free throws; Steinmetz (17) sparked the late surge with two fourth-quarter threes.
Sparta's largest lead reached 11 (25-14). Heffingen tied once but never got in front. Sparta has now won two in a row, while Heffingen's skid extends to four.
(AI generated)