Sparta Bertrange opened the Phase finale with a convincing 90-56 win over T71 Dudelange at Atert. Coach Yann Ewert's team led from the opening tip and built a 24-9 first quarter behind a late 11-0 surge that broke the game open. T71 tried to settle through the free-throw line early, but Sparta's pace and inside presence set the tone.
The second quarter was more balanced (25-22), yet Sparta still reached halftime up 49-31. The decisive stretch arrived after the break: Sparta ripped a 22-2 run from 49-33 to 71-35, dominating the third period 22-8 to remove any doubt. The largest gap reached 39 points (90-51) in the fourth. Petar Kulisic (14 years old) even strung together seven straight points to start the final quarter.
Kulisic powered Sparta with 35 points (Season PPG: 29.8), finishing consistently at the rim and adding a fourth-quarter triple. Strong support came from Alexander Möller (16; Season PPG: 13.9), the 13-year-old Swede who sparked the third-quarter break with a personal flurry including a three-pointer, and Rafael Ferreira (15; Season PPG: 18.18), who set the early rhythm with the game's first five points. Oskar Nagy added timely perimeter shooting (6, two threes), while Bora Oner chipped in 7 including a first-quarter triple.
For T71, Ben Kloos led with 16 (Season PPG: 12.73), Ben Stork added 10, and Ivan Barbic (Croatia, 13) scored 9, closing the game with late points. Pol Guedes hit an early three and finished with 7, while Finn Crelot had 6. T71's Ian Hulten picked up two quick fouls in the first period, which didn't help the visitors' defensive balance.
Sparta, now on a 10-game winning streak across their recent schedule, start the championship round atop the classification (1-0), with T71 at 0-1 under coach Alain Schaeffer. The matchup also mirrors the teams' earlier meeting this season, won by Sparta 107-60 away.
(AI generated)