Confident win at home increases our lead in the finals

SOPRON BASKET - KSC SZEKSZÁRD 70-55 (19-12, 6-14, 27-13, 18-16)
Sopron, 1400 néző

Sopron Basket: Fegyverneky 7/3, Turner 20/12, Crvendakic 15/6, Milovanovic 13, Jovanovic 8 Sub.: Dubei 4, Page 3, Weninger -

KSC Szekszárd: Studer Á. 2, Gereben 5, Costa -, McCall 11, Mansare - Sub.: Oblak 12/3, Bálint R. 8/6, Theodoreán 7/6, Kiss V. -, Vincze N. -

Stats

PGS: 23/49 47% ill. 16/54 30%

3-PTS: 7/22 32% ill. 5/17 29%

FTS: 17/22 77% ill. 18/24 75%

Rebounds: 37 (Jovanovic 9) ill. 34 (McCall 7)

Assists: 11 (Turner 5) ill. 11 (Oblak, Theodorean 4-4)

Steals: 9 (Dubei, Turner 3-3) ill. 10

Turnovers: 14 ill. 12

Blocks: 3 ill. 1

Faults: 21 ill. 27

VAL: 85 (Turner 22) ill. 55 (McCall 14)

Tina won the ball for us at the tip-off, and shortly after that Yvonne gave us the lead with a spectacular three. Two minutes later Erica McCall converted one of two from the line for the first point of our guests (3rd minute 3-2). Jeca made a nice lay-up off a greta assist by Tina, and then McCall was successful again, this time for a double. After that Yvonne made her second triple of the game Aleks fought hard for a lay-up, and was able to make it. She aded one more point to our total, and then Yvonne stepped up again for her next demoralising shot, which made Zeljko Djokic call his first time-out in the game (7th minute 13-3). After the short break Krnjic drew a foul on Danielle, and she completed a three-point play at the line. Aleks responded to it with her own two shots at the free throw line, and Oblak copied her actions at the other end. Tina fought for an offensive rebound and when she grabbed it, she put it back for two with contact, and she also made the foul shot. Oblak scored from a lay-up in traffic, after Jeca made one of two from the line, which set the score for the first quarter (10th minute 19-12).

The second period began with very physical match-ups, but after two minutes Zsófi was finally able to score, to which Oblak answered with a shot from downtown (13th minute 21-15). Tina scored a double just before the shot clock ran down off the assist by Aleks. In the next few minutes both teams were inaccurate, Szekszárd with their passes, and us with our shots, which is why no baskets were made for a long time. Head coach Roberto Iniguez decided that he needed to talk to his team, and called a time-out (18th minutw 23-15). After the break Aleks made a turnover, and McCall took advantage of it for a double, to which Theodoreán added three more to reduce the gap to a single point. What's more, after Oblak's easy lay-up Szekszárd even took the lead with 48 seconds remaining until half-time, when Roberto Iniguez called his next time-out (23-24). Just before the buzzer Tina hit a double off the assist by Yvonne to regain the lead for Sopron, but McCall's shot found its way into the basket from the last possession of the half, giving the lead back to the guests (20th minute 25-26).

Aleks opened the third period with a triple, to which Jeca added two more, while not allowing Szekszárd to score at the other end (23rd minute 30-26). After that Krnjic and Yvonne exchanged doubles, and our guard put three more points on the board, to which Theodoreán answered back likewise. However, Yvonne wouldn't let herself be outscored, she hit another one from behind the arc (25th minute 38-31). Jeca made a nice double from the paint after Gereben's two succesful free throws. McCall hit two from the line, and after that Zsófi buried a huge triple with Studer's hands in her face, who then answered back with a lay-up (27th minute 43-37). Zsófi made the crowd burst into screaming with a last second jumper, and then Aleks topped it with a great triple to force Szekszárd's next time-out (28th minute 48-37). After the break Danielle was the first to score, and then she committed a foul to get Szekszárd to the free throw line, where Bálint made both shots awarded. Debi drew a foul on her defender, and since both teams were in the bonus, she stood behind the foul line and made both shots from there, setting the score for the quarter (30th minute 52-39).

Jeca set off the final stage of the game with a double, to which Krnjic answered back with a lay-up after a steal. Tina scored one of two from the line, and after Tina grabbed an offensive rebound, she gave it to Aleks, who converted her pass into a double. Krnjic made an easy shot from under the basket, and then Debi made two shots from the free throw line, and the Danielle made one. Bálint hit a triple for Szekszárd, and then when we almost lost the ball in offense, Roberto Iniguez called his next time-out (36th minute 60-46). Aleks hit both shots from the line, but so did McCall. Bálint broke the silence after a few inaccurate efforts with an open three, to which Jeca responded with two accurate foul shots, and then coach Djokic called his next time-out (38th minute 64-51). Yvonne got the game going after the short pause with a double after a beautiful spin move in the paint, to which Gereben answered back with three shots made from the line. Yvonne made two of the same, and then Jeca scored from under the basket off the assist by Aleks. Oblak scored twice from the line, and set the final score of the game (40th minute 70-55).

After two games Sopron lead the series 2-0, Game 3 will be played in Szekszárd on Thursday at 8 pm, which could even decide the fate of the championship title.

Roberto Iniguez: I said congratulations to the girls in the locker room, because they have done a great job! We lost our minds for only five minutes before half time. We can't play like that, because that is exactly what Szekszárd wants. We have to be clever and use our strengths in offense and in defense. I am very proud of our players. I know they are at the limit, but they are giving out everything they have got. We still need one more step, and we know it will be very difficult. I know it is hard beating a team three timesin a row, but we will try. I am sure that we will go to Szekszárd for the win!

Jelena Milovanovic: It was a difficult first quarter, but after the break we were already playing the way we said we would. We didn't give our opponent many chances for the win, we played fantastically in the second half. We were already defending very well in the first half, but after the break we were already playing cleverly. We still need one more win for the league title and we want to get it on Thursday.

Zeljko Dokic: Congratulations to Sopron for the win! They played very well. I am proud of my own team, they followed the game plan, and we played very well until half time. It was a real final, we presented a level of basketball that was almost the niveau of a men's game. We stayed in the locker room after half time, and continued with lots of mistakes and out of rhythm. We conceded 27 points in the third quarter, and we must examine the reasons for it. I hope that we can win in Szekszárd and turn the series our way!

Alexandra TheodoreánCongratulations to Sopron, they played fantastically! They scored a lot of extra baskets. The difference grew above ten points multiple times, and it is very hard to come back from that. You need three wins for the championship title, we won't give up, we will put everything out on the court, and try to win at home.