The Gunners achieved something remarkable: Head coach Horst Leitner’s team only finished ninth in the regular round and had to take the detour into the play-offs via the qualifying round, which they won. In the quarter-finals they dethroned defending champions Swans Gmunden, in the semi-finals the Traiskirchen Lions and now Graz – all higher rated teams. “I am so proud of the players. “You have achieved something that no one would have believed us capable of,” said Leitner in an ORF interview.
He then emotionally announced his departure. “That was my last game today as Oberwart’s coach.” Leitner said he and his team had entered a transition phase. “We have no budget, we’re behind on everything. But I said we want to build something in Austria. The fact that the journey is now ending here with the championship title is outstanding,” explained the 43-year-old. “I believe that Oberwart has a chance to build a dynasty if they do their homework.”
Oberwart champions after a dramatic finish
Oberwart also wins the third final game against Graz in the Basketball Superliga and is Austrian champion after winning 3-0 in the “best of five” final series. The Burgenlanders beat the Graz team by the narrowest of margins in a dramatic third game on Thursday.
Drama until the last second
The third final game was not for the faint of heart. After the 61:86 and 67:72 defeats in the first two games, Graz tried to get the momentum on its side with only half the home advantage. The game had to be played in Kapfenberg because the home hall in the sports park on the Mur was not available. At first neither team was able to break away decisively, but when the score was 40:40, the hosts went on a 10-0 spurt until the half-time break.
In the third quarter, Oberwart started to catch up and didn’t need long to equalize. The final quarter was 60:60 and a thriller developed. The Styrian team squandered a six-point lead and were narrowly defeated after a tough final phase marked by many interruptions.
Käferle voted final MVP
Gunners guard Munis Tutu was the best scorer for the new title holders with 24 points, while Shaquille Rombley contributed 15 points. In the end, 60 points from the US trio Zachery Cooks (24), Jeremy Smith (21) and Quinton Green (15) were not enough for the Styrians. Oberwart’s captain Sebastian Käferle was honored as final MVP.
There were also awards in Kapfenberg for the Gmunden players Daniel Friedrich and Benedikt Güttl. The two Swans guards were voted the most valuable Austrian player and the defender of the year by the coaches and captains. Michael Weathers of the Klosterneuburg Dukes was named player of the season (MVP) on Wednesday.
win2day Herren-Superliga
Play-off-Finale:
Graz
Oberwart
80:81 (40:50)
0:3*
* Final standings in the “Best of Five” series
Play-off semi-final: Graz Klosterneuburg 3:2* Oberwart Traiskirchen 3:2*
* Final score in the “best of five” series
Play-off quarter-finals: Klosterneuburg Kapfenberg 3:0* Oberwart Gmunden 3:1* Traiskirchen St. Pölten 3:1* Graz Wels 3:1*
* Final standings in the “Best of Five” series
