BC "Prometey" - BC "Veolia Towers Hamburg" (Germany) - 87:79 (28:20, 20:20, 21:16, 18:23). April 11. 7DAYS EuroCup. 1/8 finals. Riga (Latvia). "Arena Riga".
BC "Prometey": Tkachenko* (0), Balvin* (14 + 7 rebounds), Clavell* (14 + 7 assists), Sydorov* (21), Stephens* (15 + 9 rebounds), Lypovyy (8), Sanon (13), Dickey (2).
BC "Veolia Towers Hamburg": Meisner* (10), Samar* (14 + 5 assists), Childs* (19 + 12 rebounds), Schoormann* (9), Philipps* (6 + 4 steals), Cleary (19) , Wohlfarth-Botterman (2), Kozak (0).
“Prometey” became the sixth Ukrainian team who managed to make it to the EuroCup playoffs, the second ranked European club tournament. Among Ukrainian clubs, the highest EuroCup achievement belongs, so far, to “Budivelnyk” Kyiv. Exactly ten years ago, the most titled Ukrainian club reached the semi-final of the tournament. Now, this tournament accomplishment is an excellent benchmark for “Prometey”. At the same time, “red and white” currently have such a potential that allows them not only to enter the quartet of the strongest EuroCup teams but also to conquer the main title.
Ronen Ginzburg’s team had to take the first step towards this goal in the confrontation against German club “Towers Hamburg”. With all respect to the rival, it seemed a “working option” for “Prometey” promotion up through the tournament grid. In both the national championship and the EiuroCup, the performances of "Hamburg" this year can be characterized as quite mediocre.
In this confrontation, the coaching staff of “Prometey” could already rely on DJ Stephens. Within first three minutes of the match, DJ distinguished with 5 scored points at once. The start was also successful for the entire team: in the first five-minute segment, they reached a handicap of “+5”. However, the guests also demonstrated quite decent basketball focusing on attacks from the “paint” of “Prometey”. At the same time, our team just excellently hit from the arc: 6 successful attempts out of 8 within first 8 minutes. Yet before the first break, the hosts of the court reached the mark “10+” of their advantage.
In the second quarter, “Prometey” decreased the percentage of three-pointers, but it did not bother our team to control the game. When, in the middle of the quarter, Ondrej Balvin successfully attacked the opponent’s hoop, the leadership of “Prometey” was already 16points (44:28). In response, Germans managed to strengthen their game yet before the long break, having arranged a great spurt 12:2. For the next 20 minutes, they managed to keep the intrigue in the match.
Aftyer the 15-minute break, at the start of the third quarter not everything worked for “Prometey”, however, our team did not lose the initiative. In the middle of the quarter, after a three-pointer by DJ Stephens, and managed to take the handicap of “10+” back. At the end of the third ten-minute segment, Illia Sydorov played just brilliantly in offence. His five straight points allowed “Promety” to break away from the opponent by 15 points.
German club did not give up though and in the 33rd minute, there was only one pointy between the teams (69:68 in favour of “Prometey”). At the most necessary moment, Illia Sydorov once again played brilliantly! His two straight three-point shots allowed to break away from the opponent by 6 points (75:69). Illia was just “on fire” and his signature floater and assist to DJ Stephens made a great contribution to the winning result for “Prometey”.
The hosts of the court kept the lead and managed to bring the game to a victorious finish, at the end of which, Gian Clavell added 4 needed points to the team. Right in one week, a “Prometey” rival in the 1/4 final will be determined. It will be the winner in the pair “Promitheas” (Greece) – “Bourg” (France)
Natural mineral water "Vytautas" is the official hydration partner of BC "Prometey"
