Union Neuchâtel delivered a benchmark performance on Saturday evening in the Swiss Basketball League. In front of 1,215 spectators at La Riveraine, the Unionists even taught Massagno’s Ticino team a lesson, winning 107 – 88. This success allowed them to qualify for their participation in the quarter-finals of the SBL Cup, since they occupied eighth place in the ranking at the end of the first round of the championship. But Mitar Trivunovic’s protégés also offered themselves a breath of fresh air, after having experienced some disillusionment during their previous meetings: “It’s particularly pleasing for the confidence and also for all the work we have accomplished since the start of the season,” says Joanis Maquiesse. “We needed this victory to get us going again.”
With the exception of Thomas Salman, Mitar Trivunovic finally had a complete and valid squad: Juan Esteban de La Fuente made his return to the game while Nate West seems to have found form. All the planets were aligned to deliver a good match, but to get rid of it in the manner of a contender for the national title, it was not a foregone conclusion.
The Unionists started this part aggressively and with a lot of pace. This is the best method to hamper experienced and skillful Ticino players, but who are struggling to gain speed in their game. And as Dalan Ancrum and others had the hot hand, particularly on the winning shots, the strategy worked: after the first quarter-time, Union Neuchâtel led by 13 points and Massagno never really looked like he could come back.
Four points from 2nd place
Union Neuchâtel achieved a success, the fruit of collective work, which does it a lot of good in terms of the rest of the season: there are still two rounds of the championship to go before the play-offs. And in the ranking, Union Neuchâtel – eighth – is only four points behind second place, Vevey Riviera Basket.
And in the quarter-finals of the SBL Cup, Union Neuchâtel will play on the floor of Friborg Olympic. : an opponent he had beaten at this same stage of the competition last season. /mne
2023-11-19 03:06:44
#Reference #victory #Union #Neuchâtel
