US Heffingen controlled Sparta Bertrange 80-56 in a friendly under FIBA rules, building the gap quarter by quarter (21-16; 17-16; 21-14; 21-10). Sparta struck first through a Tom Germeaux (20, 1.99m) triple for 0-3, but Heffingen replied 8-2 to take the lead and closed the first at +5. The only wobble for the hosts came late in the second: from 34-21, Sparta pieced together an 11-0 run (Philippe Arendt 2 FTs and a three, Greg Mays a pair of FTs and a layup) to 34-32. Heffingen steadied before the break (38-32) and then pulled away after halftime.
A 10-2 stretch midway through the third (45-37 to 53-39) restored double digits, and the game broke open early in the fourth when Heffingen rattled off 11 straight points Lee Bourgeois (23, 1.95m) from deep, Luke Hassl (HEF), Charel Oly (28, 2.00m) from three, and Hassl again for 70-48. The hosts' largest lead reached 26.
Heffingen produced 24 two-pointers and eight triples. Hassl (23) was the consistent reference, adding 8 points in the fourth. Austin Parker (HEF) added 13, Tom Quarry (HEF) 12, with Bourgeois 9 and Danilo Hess (HEF) 7 offering secondary scoring. Oly also chipped in 4 and managed the group on the sideline.
Sparta answered with 16 twos and five threes. Mays (SPA) led with 16, Jarvis Williams (SPA) had 12, while Arendt (27, 1.85m) hit 10 including a key second-quarter flurry. Lennart Holsten (29, 2.07m, DEU) brought 6 inside. Germeaux added 6 from long range. Colin Braun (23, 1.93m) drew an unsportsmanlike foul (U2) in the third. Sparta, coached by Karl Abou Khalil, stayed in touch until halftime, but Heffingen's depth and fourth-quarter burst settled it.
(AI generated)