Hardly anyone expected that after so painful Friday’s defeat Anwil players will be able to radically change their game and win at Ergo Arena against Trefl. However, Andrzej Pluta proved that play-offs are the veterans’ time and scoring 23 points, gave a very important win.
Hardly anyone expected that after so painful Friday’s defeat Anwil players will be able to radically change their game and win at Ergo Arena against Trefl. However, Andrzej Pluta proved that play-offs are the veterans’ time and scoring 23 points, gave a very important win.
On Friday Anwil was the team which played better in the first half leading by seven points, while after the break Trefl got back its efficiency and effectiveness and lastly determined the result to its advantage. Saturday brought completely opposite situation.
When Giedrius Gustas made a triple and the hosts took a 12-7 lead, the guests were able to answer as Lukasz Majewski did the same so Anwil didn’t let Trefl run away. Nevertheless the situation started to get out of Wloclawek team’s hands in the second quarter. Adam Waczynski scored six easy points and Trefl was leading 26:18. Moreover, when Polish shooting guard made two free throws, the margin increased to ten, 33:23.
Thanks to some points of Majewski and Andrzej Pluta, the guests cut almost the whole lead before the break (37:33) so they had the right to have hope before the second half. However, the players from Sopot always played better in the third and fourth quarters against Anwil so the fans of the last season runner-up had the right to doubt as well. As it turned out, nothing could be further from that.
D.J. Thompson started the third quarter with a triple and an assist to Nikola Jovanovic who also added three points in the next action so Anwil got back the lead (39:38). Lorinza Harrington was trying to hinder the opponent but the guests have already gained speed and after a couple of lay-ups of Seid Hajric were winning 55:49 before the last period of the match.
Having an optical advantage over the hosts since some minutes, however Anwil needed to wait to the beginning of the fourth quarter to strike a final blow when a 37-year-old veteran Andrzej Pluta took a responsibility of making shots. Well-experienced player made two three-pointers in a row, added a jumper and Anwil increased the lead to a 63:51 result.
The hosts, especially Lawrence Kinnard and Pawel Kikowski, were trying to get back the lead but their efforts turned out to be unsuccessful as Anwil controlled the situation scoring points from the free throw line.
Trefl Sopot – Anwil Wloclawek 68:76 (17:16, 20:17, 12:22, 19:21)
Trefl: Stefanski 11, Kikowski 10, Waczynski 10, Kinnard 8, Ljubotina 7, Dylewicz 6, Gustas 6, Harrington 5, Ceranic 5
Anwil: Pluta 23, Majewski 12, Thompson 10, Hajric 10, Jovanović 6, Thomas 5, Diduszko 5, Miller 3, Morrison 2, Berisha 0