BC "Prometey" - BC "U-Bank Transylvania Cluj-Napoca" (Romania) - 105:82 (28:27, 23:30, 28:15, 26:10). December 14. 7DAYS EuroCup group tournament. Group A. Tour 8. Riga (Latvia). "Arena Riga".
BC "Prometey": Kennedy* (23 + 5 rebounds + 7 assists + 4 steals), Balvin* (23 + 6 rebounds), Lypovyy* (13), Lukashov*, captain (10 + 5 assists), Sanon* (12 ), Clavell (17), Tkachenko (3), Hogue (0), Sydorov (3), Stephens (0), Klimov (1).
BC "U-Banka Transylvania Cluj-Napoca": Meindl* (17), Guzman* (4 + 5 rebounds + 3 steals), Richard* (19 + 6 assists), Cate* (14 + 6 rebounds), Bircevic* ( 6), Stipanovic (14), Sanders (8), Gordyc (0 + 5 assists), Kuti (0), Lapuste (0), Roschnafsky (0).
The penultimate tour of the first round in the 7DAYS EuroCup Group A started the day before with the confrontation pf Turkish “Bursaspor” and Lithuanian “Lietkabelis”, where Turkish club turned out to be stronger. Each of today’s four matches in the group of our "Prometey", including the home game of our team against Romanian “Cluj-Napoca”, had own decent intrigue. The tournament situation forced both rivals to win, as there were some tournament predictions, according to which the one who lost, following the results of the tour, remained out of play-off.
Completing this difficult ask for the “red and white” became even more complicated by the fact that between the LEBL match with “Latvijas Universitate” and today’s confrontation some players of our team had caught a severe virus. Their physical condition could not be optimal a priori.
The starting five of “Prometey” differed significantly from the options of the roster used in many previous matches of the team in the EuroCup. There was a place for three Ukrainian players at once – Denys Lukashov, Issuf Sanon and Oleksandr Lypovyy. All players of the hosts, except Oleksandr Lypovyy, successfully attacked the opponent’s rim during the first 5 minutes. Within this game segment, the percentage of the accurate three-point shots reached 83, and Issuf Sanon sparkled twice. Important game component, in which “red and white” did not always succeed, helped break away from the opponents by 6 points. In the second part of the quarter, Ivan Tkachenko and Illia Sydorov supported their partners with the accurate shots from the arc. The hit by Illia allowed “Prometey” to go for the first break in a status of the leader, although a handicap of the team was minimal (28:27).
Successful defense of our team in their own “paint” also contributed into our team’s advantage. But when the opponent improved this moment, they managed to take a lead. The maximum advantage of the guests was 7 points. In 16th minute, after the accurate throw by Oleksandr Lypovyy, the score became even (42:42); however, after two minutes two out of three accurate free throws by Gian Clavell brought the hosts ahead. Unfortunately, the last two minutes before the long break were completely for Romanian team. Their advantage before the break consisted of two possessions – 57:51.
In the debut of the third quarter, productive actions by Oleksandr Lypovyy and Denys Lukashov had a needed impact for the team. After the individual drive and a bonus free throw by our captain in 24th minutes, “Prometey” broke away by 4 points (65:61). In two minutes, the handicap of Ronen Gingburg’s squad was “+10”. Ondrej Balvin was just unrestrained on the equator of the quarter. He productively attacked the opponent’s rim from both “Paint” and perimeter. Excellent “Prometey” defense worth noting in the third quarter: within 10 minutes, “red and white” allowed their rival to gain only 15 points within 10 minutes. Unfortunately, one and a half minute before the quarter ended, unpleasant accident happened: Issuf Sanon was able to leave the court only with a help of his partners.
It was exactly third quarter that largely defined the victorious result for “Prometey”. In the final 10-minute segment, Ronen Ginzburg’s team very confidently controlled the game withdrawn all questions about the winner long before the final siren. It is quite possible, that exactly today “Prometey” played its best match in the 7DAYS EuroCup, finding the needed balance between defense and offense. The double value of this victory is that it was achieved under the extremely adverse circumstances preceded the game!
Natural mineral water "Vytautas" is the official hydration partner of BC "Prometey"
