Lions of Geneva Fall Short in Play-offs: Fribourg Olympic Advances to Finals

Updated23. April 2024, 9:31 p.m.

Basketball: Valiant but beaten, the Lions are eliminated from the play-offs

With their backs against the wall in the semi-final of the Swiss Basketball League, the Genevans sold their skin dearly against Fribourg, Tuesday at the Pommier, in act IV. But they conceded a third defeat synonymous with elimination (59-84).

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Despite their efforts, Bryan Colon and his teammates were unable to pull off a decisive Act V against Friborg Olympic in the semi-finals of the Swiss Basketball League.

Pierre Maillard/Lions of Geneva

There was no second exploit at Le Pommier. Three days after their heroic victory in Act III of the Swiss Basketball League semi-finals, the Geneva Lions failed to once again save their skin against the ogre of Swiss basketball, Fribourg Olympic. This Tuesday evening, in front of their home crowd, they conceded a third defeat in the series (59-84). Synonymous, this one, with elimination. For the third year in a row, the Grand-Saconnex team sees its path stop at the gates of the final, to which it has not reached since 2019, tirelessly beaten by the same rival.

Like Saturday, however, she responded from the interval. The two teams, deploying an aggressive and compact defense, left only crumbs for opposing attacks, giving rise to a balanced start to the match as possible. Friborg made a first gap at the end of the initial quarter, taking a four-point lead (16-20) which it worked to maintain in the second. Despite their efforts, the Genevans came up against the tenacity of their rivals, who responded to each offensive and returned to the locker room with an advantage of +8 (26-36).

Questioning necessary

Certainly trailing mid-match, the Lions nevertheless remained at a respectable distance. Always so disciplined when they lost the ball, they could have picked up in the third quarter but then suffered from a cruel lack of skill (5 successful shots out of 17). Which the visitors took advantage of to take off. 10 minutes from the final siren, the scoreboard read 42-57. Olympic had done the hard part and, as he knows how to do it so well, took great pleasure in driving home the point.

By the content of their last two outings, Dragan Andrejevic’s players can go out with their heads held high. They may, on the other hand, harbor regrets about the first two meetings of the series, during which they got through it. The final surge will not erase the questions surrounding this squad and its coach. End of season rhymes with questioning. For the Geneva Lions, it is necessary in order to get off to a good start next fall.

Friborg Olympic, for its part, proves if necessary that it remains best placed to win the champion title. It would be his sixth in a row. Gargantuan.

Massagno dismisses Neuchâtel and joins Friborg in the final

2024-04-23 20:31:08
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