Third-placed Basket Esch protected home court against fourth-placed Sparta Bertrange, 83-73, and completed a 2-0 head-to-head sweep in this phase finale after the 60-50 away win in February. It also stopped Esch's two-game losing run.
The game was balanced early. Ata Tastekin (Season PPG: 14.33), 16, 1.91m, scored 14 points in the first quarter for Sparta, while Emmanuel Jesus Frederico (Season PPG: 15.69), 17, CPV, answered with 10 in the same period for Esch. Sparta led 21-20 after one, helped by the free throw that followed Frederico's U2 at 20-20.
Esch changed the tempo in the second quarter. After falling behind 22-23, the home side produced a 16-2 run to open a 38-25 gap. Jamie Zuang (Season PPG: 9.45), Melvin Pereira Furtado (Season PPG: 7.18) and Kevin Kelechi Nnganyadi (Season PPG: 5.88) were central in that stretch. Sparta answered well before the break with 9 straight points, cutting the score to 38-34.
The decisive moment came just after halftime. Dejan Pavlovic's team opened the third quarter on a 10-0 burst for 48-34. Hugo Loureiro Duarte (Season PPG: 4.71) was very important there and finished with 12 points. Sparta reduced the gap to 52-45 and later to 61-51, with Tastekin and Jorge Leocadio Botelho (Season PPG: 8.64) keeping them in touch.
In the fourth quarter Esch reached its biggest lead at 72-56. Sparta still pushed back to 75-68, but Esch answered through Frederico and Noah Kouamedjouo (Season PPG: 9.67) to stay in control. Frederico finished with 26 points, Tastekin answered with a game-high 27. Botelho added 12 for Sparta, while Diego Maestro Varillas scored 9 before fouling out late.
(AI generated)