Confident victory on the festive home season opener

Sopron Basket - VBW-CEKK Cegléd 90-45 (20-9, 31-5, 23-13, 16-18)
Sopron

Sopron Basket: January 2, Czukor 2, Crvendakic 15/9, Brooks 10, Határ 12 Sub.: Weninger 15/9, Krajisnik 13, Dubei 10/6, Fegyverneky 4, Varga A. 4, Varga K. 3, Varga S. -

VBW-CEKK Cegléd: Stankiewicz 10/6, Szirony 2, Higgins 4, Swanier 12, Kobolák 5 Sub.: Révész 7, Brezinova 4, Böröndy D. 1, Viszmeg -, Király A. -, Filipowicz V. -

Stats

PGS: 35/66 53% ill. 12/54 22%

3-PTS: 8/22 36% ill. 3/17 18%

FTS: 12/12 100% ill. 18/24 75%

Rebounds: 44 (Crvendakic, Krajisnik 7-7) ill. 31 (Swanier 10)

Assists: 27 (January 7) ill. 5 (Swanier 2)

Steals: 11 (Crvendakic 3) ill. 5

Turnovers: 14 ill. 21

Faults: 25 ill. 17

EFF: 128 (Crvendakic 26) ill. 17 (Swanier 17)

Cintia Kobolák scored the first points in the game, to which Betti answered back with a double right away. In the following couple of minutes the only event worth mentioning was a free throw made by Kobolák, after that neither side was able to score for a long time, until Jeca finally made two foul shots to get us on the front foot for the first time in the game (5th minute 4-3). After two more free throws from Cegléd, Aleks buried a three, and then Tina made a close shot to pull a bit further away from Cegléd (9-5). With a little more than a minute remaining on the clock the difference has reached double digits after a made shot from downtown by Debi (17-7), and it increased even further by the end of the period (10th minute 20-9).


Dalma got the second quarter going with a mid-range double, to which Zsófi added another one (24-9). After that Jeca scored from inside, to which Stankiewicz answered back with two of three free throws made (14th minute 26-11). When Zsófi went inside for a lay-up, Gabriel Carrasco called his second time-out in the game to try and stop our scoring run (30-11). When the teams came back on court Virág and Aleks both hit triples, and then Betti buried a double from mid-range. Alíz scored for two, and then Betti made two foul shots to increase our lead over thirty points (42-11). We ended the first half with a 9-3 run and went into the half-time break with a commanding lead (20th minute 51-14).

Photo: Zsombor Tóth

Jeca opened the second half with a quick lay-up, while at the other end Swanier was successful from mid-range. However, after a triple by Debi the difference reached forty points (56-16)! Jeca and Virág kept scoring for us, and after a triple by the latter coach Carrasco called his team to the bench again for a time-out (23rd minute 61-16). Kobolák put an end to the scoring drought for Cegléd with a double off a spin move under the rim, and then Stankiewicz buried a three, before Tina made a shot from close in (63-21). Swanier split the pair at the foul line, to which Aleks answered back with a three, and when Tina scored again Cegléd called another time-out to talk things over (26th minute 68-22). Swanier hit one from downtown to get the game going again after the short pause, but then Aleks struck twice – she made a double and then handed out an assist to Tina. After that both sides added two more points to their total until the end of the period (30th minute 74-27).


Brezinova made the first shot in the final stage of the game, to which Debi answered back likewise. After that Cegléd kept on scoring and midway through the quarter they forced Dávid Gáspár to call his team to the bench for a time-out (35th minute 80-37). Virág got us going after the break from outside, and after a double by Betti our center grabbed a rebound, and then handed out an assist to Debi for yet another shot from behind the arc (88-37). For the last couple of minutes Sára Varga also got the opportunity to join the team on the court for her first appearance in the highest division of Hungary (40th minute 90-45).

Dávid Gáspár: Congratulations to the ladies, they took the game very seriously from the first until the last minute. We expect a full concentration and effort from everyone on court, and we got that. There were mistakes, of course, we have to analyze these and fix them in order to keep up the level of our game. I am glad that we were able to be a part of this great ceremony, and that I got to have such a nice home court debut with a great win in such atmosphere.

Virág Weninger: We played a fantastic game at home! We were trying to execute what we were asked to do to the fullest, and this is why everyone got to be on court for so long. From now on we are focusing on the upcoming game against TF!

Gabriel Carrasco: Statistics say it all about the game. Sopron is a great team and not only because they play in Euroleague, they work hard as well. In the first couple of minutes it seemed like we could have a good game. We prepared a lot against Sopron's tough defense, but we weren't in a comfortable shape. We conceded a lot of points, and scored very few, and when a big difference builds up, it is very hard to come back from that. It's not an excuse, but we also had some important players missing the game. The first half showed where we are right now, and to which direction we have to make steps forward. We'll keep working, this is just the beginning of the season. Congratulations to Sopron!

Angelika Stankiewicz: Congratulations to Sopron! We came to fight, but we knew that Sopron was a strong team. Our shooting percentage was - for lack of a better word - terrible. We always tried to change something, but after that we had many turnovers. We have to analyze the game and correct our mistakes.