AB Contern controlled Sparta Bertrange B 78-53 in Contern/Central, building the win on a dominant start and a decisive third quarter. Jeff Bevilacqua's side burst out 27-13 after 10 minutes, highlighted by a 9-0 run from 6-6 in which Max Muller (CON), 12, poured in 7 points in a row after a Pit Hoffmann basket. Sparta's early foul trouble did not help: Antoine Pierre Karl Behmer (SPAB) committed two P2 fouls in quick succession in the first quarter.
Tine Nagy's team reacted in the second period, winning it 20-14. Liam Ammermann (SPAB, captain) and Rapha l Grieco (SPAB) keyed the response, trimming the gap to 41-33 at halftime. The game turned for good after the break: Contern opened the third with an 8-0 burst to 51-35 (buckets by Felix Zoller, Gabriel Rasque Schmitt and Hoffmann) and took the quarter 17-7. The hosts stretched the lead to a game-high +26 at 74-48 in the fourth before closing it out.
Muller (CON) was the game's standout with 35 points, built on 16 made 2s and 3 free throws, repeatedly finding seams in the paint in a game without a single three-pointer made by either team. Rasque Schmitt (CON) added 14 and was instrumental in the third-quarter surge, while Hoffmann (CON, captain) and Samuel Bevilacqua (CON) chipped in 9 apiece. For Sparta, Grieco led with 14, backed by Alessandro Giannini (SPAB, ITA) with 10 and Djulian Lewis Lima Pires (SPAB) with 8; Ammermann added 7.
In the classification, Contern climb to 2nd place (+1) at 2-0, while Sparta drop to 3rd (-1) at 1-1.
(AI generated)