KK Gorica – MKS Dabrowa Górnicza 77:98 (19:23, 10:20, 31:19, 17:34)
Referees: Vuckovic, Krajnc, Smrekar (all Slovenia)
Attendance: 20
Venue: Gradska sportska dvorana, Velika Gorica
Scorers – Gorica: Mašić and Savić each 19, Uljarević 18, Baković and Cinać each 9, Majić 3, Kapusta, Miloloza and Sokol 0,
Scorers- Dabrowa Gornicza: Malgorzaciak 22, Sobin 18, Pecheo 15, Nowakowski 10, Haney jr. 9, Brenk 7, Motylewski 6, Rajewicz 5, Czujkowski and Piechowicz each 3
The opponents opened the match better and went to 0:9 with a few quick actions. Majić responded with a three-pointer, but after Sobin’s basket it was already 3:14. Mašić and Savić allowed Gorica to return to the game with three-pointers, and Brenk concluded the first quarter with the result of 19:23. In the 12th minute, Cinac equalized with points at 25:25, but Haney started the series for MKS with 15:0, and the result was 25:40. Baković reduced the lead to 29:43 with a three-pointer and with that result they went on a big break.
In the third quarter, Uljarević, Savić and Mašić tied a few three-pointers without a miss and Gorica reached just one point behind (53:54).
Malgorzaciak fought back with a few points, and in the last 10 minutes they entered with a score of 60:64. The Bulls held the scoring lead for a few more minutes of the final quarter. However, after the exclusion of Kapusta and Majić, the already short rota-tion was shortened even more, and the guests got the last section with the result of 17:34, which solves the question of the winner.
Post-game quotes:
Bože Radoš, coach of Gorica: “We had a bad opening again. By the end of the first quarter, we managed to consolidate and get back into the game. Simply, the whole time was an uncertain game, we caught them all the time and when we caught up with them on a point, the two differences they would immediately separate. Today was decided by a wider rotation of op-ponents and we could not energetically parry during all 40 minutes. With 7 players, it’s hard to play against 12.”
Karlo Uljarević, player of Gorica: “With our shortened rotation, we gave everything we could. We got into the game a little worse, we had some mis-takes and we didn’t hit open shots. We entered the second half much more aggressively and decisively, we scored some heavy and open shots. We came two points behind, but in the end two players came out due to five fouls. Maybe fatigue was crucial, they scored in the end, we didn’t and they deservedly won. Let’s move on, new games are coming.”
Jacek Winnicki, coach of Dabrowa Górnicza: “I am very pleased with how we played. We won and this is our second win in a row. We now have a great chance of placing in the next round of the competition. We con-trolled the game for most of the game except for one part of the third quarter when the team from Velika Gorica hit a large number of three-pointers. However, in the end, we did a good job on defense. We played a different kind of defense that we have been playing lately for the Polish league and that was very important to us. Congratulations to my players and we are happy to have won.”
Josip Sobin, player of Dabrowa Górnicza: “It’s nice to come home to play. I haven’t played in Croatia for seven or eight years. We opened the game well, then we fell a little, but in the end we got up again in the last quarter and made an advantage that Gorica could not reach. Congratulations to our team and now we are still preparing for the Polish league.”
