Etzella Ettelbruck opened Phase 1 with a 79-65 home win over Sparta Bertrange and moved into 1st place, with Sparta 2nd after the first game. The score was still close after three quarters, but Etzella controlled the decisive stretch.
Sparta started the better of the two teams. William Scarsbrook (SPA) scored Sparta's first 8 points, and 14-year-old Petar Kulisic (SPA) added 10 in the opening quarter as the visitors took a 25-19 lead. In the second period, coach Yann Ewert's team extended the gap to 36-25, their biggest lead of the night. Filip Schumacher (SPA) and Rafael Ferreira (SPA) helped maintain that edge, but Etzella reacted before halftime and trimmed it to 39-36.
The game turned late in the third quarter and early in the fourth. From 52-49 down, Etzella produced a 12-0 run across the break to go 61-52 ahead. Seid Muratovic (ETZ), a 15-year-old, was central to that swing and finished with 35 points. Lou Dos Santos (ETZ) added 16, while Dino Dragolovcanin (ETZ) scored 11 and Adam Ajdinovic (ETZ) 9.
Sparta were still level at 52-52, so the winner was only decided in the last period. Etzella then won the fourth quarter 25-13 and stretched the margin to 74-53, the highest lead of the game. Sparta's main scorers were Kulisic with 14, Scarsbrook with 12, Schumacher with 9, Ferreira with 8 and Eduard Vevecka (SPA) with 7. Sparta also had flagrant fouls recorded against Ethan Martins and Schumacher during the game.
(AI generated)