T71 Dudelange edged Sparta Bertrange 66-59 in W-U16 Division 1 (Phase 1), a close game shaped by a powerful middle stretch from the visitors and a late Sparta surge.
Sparta started sharper, 15-12 after Q1, with Hanna Rotink (14) and Chiara Sahaia Rasolofo (15, FRA) driving the offense. Coach Yves Marchi's T71 flipped the script in the second quarter with 28 points, sparked by Katarina Barbic (14, HRV) from the perimeter and steady finishing from captain Marie Beffort Neuman (15). Halftime read 30-40. After the break, T71 stayed on a roll, Shari Von Arx (15) and Matilde Pego Pinto (13) extending the lead to a game-high +21 at 41-62 early in Q4.
Coach Patrick Roilgen's Sparta responded with energy: Lilly Engels (15) scored twice early in the period, Rasolofo kept attacking, and Sparta closed the game on a 12-0 run, with Rotink knocking down back-to-back baskets to trim it to 59-66. T71 nevertheless managed the end-game to secure the win.
Top performers:
- T71: Barbic 14; a balanced line of 8 points each from Eva Guedes (15), Von Arx (15), Pego Pinto (13), and Beffort Neuman (15). Jana Dos Santos Dramicanin (15) added 6 but had to navigate early foul trouble (4 fouls by mid-game).
- Sparta: Rotink (14) 20, Rasolofo (15, FRA) 16, Engels (15) 11, Annabel Maria Mason Mateos (14, ESP) 6.
Runs and momentum: T71's 15-28 in Q2 and 9-17 in Q3 built the cushion; Sparta answered with an 18-4 closing stretch, including the final 12 points in a row.
Form and table: T71 are on a two-game win streak and climb to 2nd. Sparta drop to 0-2 and sit 4th.
(AI generated)