Heroic victory at home in overtime

Sopron Basket - Ludovika-FCSM Csata 83-74 (12-14, 20-20, 22-24,16-12, 13-4) h.u.
Sopron

Sopron Basket: January 6, Fegyverneky 10, Jovanovic 17, Varga A. 15/3, Brooks 17 Sub.: Kókai 4, Sitku -

Ludovika-FCSM Csata: Horváth B. 6/6, Lelik 11/3, Gyöngyösi 4, Carey 4, Zele 11/3 Sub.: Dean 17/3, Hegedűs J. 9/3, Böröndy V. 4, Strausz 2

Statistics

FGS: 30/63 48% ill. 31/67 46%

3-PTS: 2/15 13% ill. 6/21 29%

FTS: 21/29 72% ill. 6/7 86%

Rebounds: 37 (Jovanovic 8) ill. 37 (Lelik, Zele 6-6)

Assists: 17 (Jovanovic 6) ill. 9 (Horváth B. 4)

Steals: 6 (Brooks 3) ill. 2

Turnovers: 6 ill. 13

Faults: 15 ill. 26

VAL: 125 (Brooks 33) ill. 84 (Lelik 15)

Lelik got the game going with a double for Csata, to which Carey added another one, before Jeca managed to score our first basket (2nd minute 2-4). Then Zsófi was also successful from mid-range, tying the game up. However, Lelik hit one from outside to put the away side on the front foot again, but Zsófi wouldn’t miss at the other end either. What’s more, she even completed a three-point play afterwards with the additional free throw (5th minute 7-7). In the next few minutes the guests pulled a bit further away from us, but Neca managed to get the difference down to two with a double. However, when Csata hit the target again, Dávid Gáspár decided to call a time-out (10-14). Bri made two free throws coming back on the court after the short pause setting the score for the first period (12-14).


Horváth opened the second quarter with a shot from downtown, to which Alíz answered back from mid-range. Then Gyöngyösi made a lay-up, and then she also made two from the charity stripe (13th minute 14-21). Neca went in for a lay-up, but got fouled in the act, following which she converted both free throws awarded into points, to which Alíz added a wide open three. Then Neca split a pair at the foul line reducing the gap to three, and forcing Krisztián Tursics to call a time-out (16th minute 22-25). Hegedűs buried a triple off the backboard after the brief talk at the benches, but then we finally took control for a while, and tied to game up again thanks to some nice fast-break opportunities (30-30), but Csata had the last laugh in the half with a buzzer-beater (20th minute 32-34).


The third period began with a double by Dean, to which Jeca answered back likewise, but then lelik also managed to score (22nd minute 34-38). Alíz made a double a minute later reducing the gap to two again, but Dean struck again, that time from outside. Neca kept us close to Csata with a lay-up. It was raining buckets early on, and by the middle of the period we were still down by a three-point margin (40-43). Not long after that Dorina Zele drained another shot from outside, forcing Dávid Gáspár to call his next time-out (26th minute 42-48). In the remaining time of the period we managed to keep up with the guests and it was still anybody’s game going into the fourth quarter (30th minute 54-58).


Zele got the final stage of the game going with a double, and then Carey put two more on the board for Csata before Neca completed a three-point play, and Bri hit twice from the line (32nd minute 59-62). In the next few minutes the away side put four in-between again, despite all the effort from us (35th minute 62-66). After that Alíz came up with a great double off a nice assist by Bri reducing the gap to two again, and forcing Krisztián Tursics’s next time-out. Zsófi went behind the free throw line after the short pause, made good on both attempts and tied the game up again (66-66). After that the away side were able to score again, while Zsófi split a pair of free throws at the other end, following which she buried one of her signature mid-range jumpers to give us the lead and force Csata to call another time-out (38th minute 69-68)! After that we managed to get ahead by two thanks to a free throw, but with thirteen seconds on the game clock Horváth went in for a lay-up and tied it up again, and sent it to overtime (40th minute 70-70)!


In the extra period we didn’t take any prisoners, did what was necessary and won the game after a heroic battle (45th minute 83-74).

Gáspár Dávid: We didn't know who we could count on prior to the game, so we prepared for the worst case scenario, which actually came true. Those who played also came back from injuries or illnesses, and they had an extremely difficult task to do, having to play in pain and lacking training. We collected a really valuable victory! I hope that it will give everyone a huge boost mentally, players, coaches, other staff members and fans alike. We trained very hard this week, made it to the limit of our power, which showed in the game, but we managed to stay focused in overtime and were able to make good decisions even in such a situation. The way we have believed in our work o far, we will continue to do so. I am extremely proud of the team, they have achieved something great today! With respect to our opponents, Csata had a real chance to win today, and they gave us a hard time. They played and fought well, I wish them all the best for the future, because it showed that they are serious opponents. We will keep going on our path, the next station of which is Russia. We will see how many of us and in what way we can travel, but we will keep going with the same mentality!

Krisztián Tursics: Congratulations to SOpron! This was a chance that is never coming back for us. Not many teams can say that they came to Sopron with a chance to win. The two teams lined up today in a way that gave us a huge chance, but we were unable to break our opponents who played with a six-person rotation. We couldn't close the game during the regulation. The fact that they had twenty more free throw attempts shows that we played softly. We don't attack the rim, so we have to get stronger, if we want to play with a chance to win in the future. Réka Lelik fouling out also broke our rhythm. All in all we played a good game, and now we will prepapre for the one against BEAC. Good luck to our opponents for the domestic league and Euroleague!

Zsófia Fegyverneky: Today's win is a really memorable one! I can say that it was one of our most difficult games recently. We don't like dealing with them, or talking about our problems, but now is the time when we have to face them. Others are also struggling with this, ut we simply cannot practice properly due to the many injured or ill players, we have really few eligible players. I am so proud of how those on the court put their hearts out there, so that we can get the win! Sometimes, even if we didn't make the best decisions, we gave it all we got. It could give us a lot mentally. I hope we can practice, and once maybe play with a complete roster in the future!

Japreece Dean: It was a good game against a great team! We will work on some things in our game, but I enjoyed my debut with the team!