MKS Dabrowa Górnicza – Spišskí Rytieri 122:102 (31:27, 35:33, 29:17, 26:25)
Referees: Pokorný, Dombrovský, Melichárek (all Czechia)
Attendance: 250
Scorers – Górnicza: Wilczek 30, Garcia 18, Cabbill 16, Horne 15, Slupiński 15, Persons 11, Kulikowski 6, Kucharek 4, Piechowicz 3, Konaszuk and Wojdala each 2, Wojciechowski 1
Scorers – Rytieri: Pipkins 36, Smith 27, Fusek 18, Juríček 11, Mrviš 6, Hlivák 4, Makula, Stančák and Zuščák 0
From the very beginning of the match, the pace set by the players of both teams was truly impressive. The incredibly quick transition and ease of creating long-range shots were truly impressive. The first half of the match was a real display of shooting skills on both sides of the floor, with energetic dunks and effective long-range shots. Dominik Wilczek played an excellent match for MKS, scoring 19 points by the break. hitting 5 of 6 3-point shots. In the Slovak camp, the American duo of perimeter players Luwane Pipkins and Daishon Smith performed excellently, scoring 18 points each. in the first two quarters of the match. After 20 minutes of the match, the scoreboard showed MKS leading 66:60.
After the change of sides, the MKS players gained a clear wind in their sails, organizing a real shooting festival. The ball repeatedly fell into the visitors’ basket, and the advantage of the Dąbrowa team grew to double digits. Even though the Slovaks tried, they were unable to stop the fast-paced MKS machine. Ultimately, the match ended with an NBA result and a certain victory for the team from Dabrowa Górnicza, which showed that it was serious about defending last season’s championship title.
Post-game quotes:
Michal Dukowicz, asisstant coach of Górnicza: “It was a really offensive game with lots of 3-point shoots. But still, we have to work in defense, because again, it didn’t stop our opponents. I’m very happy after this win, and we dedicate it to our coach, Boris Balibrea.”
Erich Korfanta, assistant coach of Rytieri: “It was a very tough game for us because our roster missed four very important players from the basic rotation, so now it’s the biggest problem for us. But I’m very proud of my players because we play only in six bodies. We lost „only” 20 points, so I’m happy. I think the next game on Saturday in our league is a very important game for us. I hope we will be complete in this game, and we will fight. Congrats to MKS Dąbrowa Górnocza. There are nice people, staff, coaches—everything was fine in this city. Good luck for the rest of the season.”
Luwane Pipkins, player of Rytieri: “It was a good game. We played strong, but at the end of the day, we lost, so we will come back stronger next time.”
