Titled Anwil Wloclawek and coming to the league Polski Cukier Torun have been chosen by the league authorities to begin the 2014/2015 competition. Unfortunately, the Rottweilers haven't met the target and lost to the newcomer 74:75. Chase Simon has turned out to be the team's best scorer with 20 points.
It was an unsatisfactory beginning. Who expected the Rottweilers to set the bar high and rank the opponents, must have been extremely disappointed. The Rottweilers played basketball far from the expectations and lost in Torun by 11.
However, the beginning of the game didn't spell disaster. Chase Simon turned out to be the key who jumped out from the background and was able to score easy 13 points in the first quarter. Thanks to his shots, Anwil Wloclawek was winning 10:3 right after the first ball, although Brandon Brown was quickly whistled with two fouls by the refs. Unfortunately, the team of Polski Cukier Torun (managed by the Anwil ex-coach Milija Bogicevic) got back its focus soon and started to chase.
The hosts were playing hard. They were trying to pass the backcourt line and play to the basket which produced some easy lay-ups and Anwil players' fouls. Moreover, they were attacking the board more aggressively than the guests what shifted into 18 offensive balls rebounded more than the rivals.
Polski Cukier ran away for the first time in the middle of the second quarter - 43:34 but the headcoach of Anwil, Mariusz Niedbalski, asked for a time-out and Anwil quickly balanced its play, only five points less than the opponents (46:51) before the break. In the third quarter, Deonta Vaughn made some important shots, Konrad Wysocki finished some tip-ins, lay-ups and jumper shots and Anwil made the game tight (60:60) a seconds before the last period of the game. Unfortunately, at that moment the hosts changed its defensive strategy and started to defend zone which turned out to be the nail in Anwil's coffin. The Rottweilers made only one shot which couldn't be even compared with 16 points provided by the team of Torun. When the scoreboard showed the 76:62, it was clear that Anwil failed in the first battle of the 2014/2015 campaing. But the was is not over.
Next game is held on Sunday, October 12th, at 12.30 against Asseco Gdynia at home.
Polski Cukier Toruń - Anwil Włocławek 85:74 (29:28, 22:18, 15:14, 19:14)
Polski Cukier: Denison 19, Corbett 19, Comagić 8, Perka 8, Nowakowski 8, Sulima 7, Diggs 6, Jarmakowicz 5, Jankowski 5, Zyskowski 0
Anwil: Simon 20, Wysocki 18, Vaughn 10, Hajrić 8, Brown 7, Surmacz 6, Eitutavicius 5, Witliński 0, Krajniewski 0, Raczyński 0