– The Geneva Lions kick off their semi-final with a cold shower
Stifled in the first quarter by the ogre Friborg Olympic, the Genevans were never able to win at Saint-Léonard (95-61), Saturday in act I of the Swiss Basketball semi-finals League.
Published today at 7:43 p.m.
Natan Jurkovitz’s Friborg Olympic (left) crushed Mladen Armus’ Lions in Act I of the Swiss Basketball League semi-finals.
Pierre Maillard/Lions of Geneva
The Geneva Lions knew it: they will need an immense feat to dismiss Friborg Olympic and qualify for the final of the Swiss Basketball League play-offs. The five-time reigning Swiss champion reminded them of this from the first minutes of the series. This Saturday, the almost undefeated leader of the regular season – beaten only once in 27 days – won Act I in his Saint-Léonard venue (95-61), thanks to a thunderous start.
Disciplined in defense and shooting success, unlike their opponents, the Friborgs inflicted a scathing 15-0 on the Lions in less than 5 minutes. Stifled, Dragan Andrejevic’s team was already behind by 21 points at the end of the first quarter (28-7). She raised the bar in the second, even reducing the gap to 13 units (31-18 then 35-22), but her host kept her at a respectable distance.
Massagno mate Union Neuchâtel
At mid-match, the Lions already had little hope of getting back together (48-31). They completely flew away after returning from the locker room. Friborg tightened the noose, forcing its rival to a poor shooting skill (only 28.5% over the last two quarters) while continuing to score baskets on its side. This succession of actions in the form of stabs allowed the ogre of Swiss basketball to finish off the wounded beast, as he has known how to do so well for so many years.
The two teams meet again in Saint-Léonard on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.), for Act II of this series played in the best of five matches.
In the other semi-final, Massagno also enforced logic against Union Neuchâtel (93-72). Only trailing at the start of the match, the Ticinese were in the lead almost from start to finish, driven by a formidable external skill (50% success at three points, on 24 attempts) and their sovereignty in rebounding (40 shots, against 28 on the Neuchâtel side).
Did you find an error? Please report it to us.
0 comments
2024-04-13 17:44:08
#Basketball #Geneva #Lions #kick #semifinal #cold #shower
