Piešťanské Čajky – KAŽL Split 78:39 (17:12, 18:11, 22:6, 22:10)
Referees: Margala, Uhrin, Obertová (all Slovakia)
Attendance: 300
Scorers – Piešťany: James 18, Herminjard 16, Jurčenková and Mitrasinović each 10, Moravčíková and Stašová each 6, Mandić 5, Taušová 3, Chovaníková and Majerová each, Kraislová and Vandlíková 0
Scorers – Split: Buckner 17, Pirjak 6, Langhi a Ramarčuk each 5, Božan 4, Sokanović 2, Bilić, Pavić and Turčinov 0
The opening game of the Final Four kicked off with great commitment from both sides, but the first points didn’t come until the end of the second minute. Herminjard got Piešťany started, resulting in a 7-point streak and a slight lead. However, Split responded thanks to Buckner and managed to play a equal game. The home team won the first quarter 17:12. In the second part of the game, Split managed to level the game right from the start, but Piešťany didn’t want to allow any surprises, so James took matters into her own hands. Gamewise, the Slovak team was better, only the simple play of the semifinal opponent was successful for a long time. It was only a 10-point streak, of which Mitrasinovic was the main figure, that helped. The improved defensive performance was also reflected in the half-time score – 35:23.
The home team didn’t allow any drama or an evenly matched game in the second half. With concentration and teamwork on both sides of the floor, they started the third quarter with a 9:0 run, later pushing their lead over the 20-point and also 30-point mark. Finally, it went into the final period at 57:29. Piešťany controlled their way in the final minutes to advance to the finals and take the first step at the home Final Four.
Post-game quotes:
Ondrej Haviar, assistant coach of Piešťany: “The victory was not so easy. We had a little bit weaker start to the game, we didn’t defend badly, but we made mistakes in defence and gave our opponent a lot of free throws, which he converted. That kept us down, plus our poorer finishing. But after halftime it was us, we pushed them even harder and pulled within 30 points. The whole bench played well, so I’m happy.”
Andželika Mitrasinović, player of Piešťany: “We played good defense in some moments, but we didn’t convert many open shots. I hope we will do better in that direction on Sunday, because we need to score something from three-point range. I hope that we will do better on Sunday and win the Alpe Adria Cup.”
Vjekoslav Lokica, coach of Split: “As I was saying before the game, Piešťany is a much better team, they have more experience and a wider rotation. At times in the first half, when we had energy, we were close. After the break, it showed a big difference. We have a very young squad, it’s a great experience for our players. Most of our squad is in the cadet and junior age group. Congratulations to Piešt’any for the victory.”
Dynnah Buckner, player of Split: “It was a great start from our side. We played collectively, well and tried our best. Unfortunately, then fatigue set in and our game went downhill from there. But we know we were up against a good team. We will make small adjustments to play even better on Sunday.”
