Kormend get the job done, finish off Boras Basket in Hungary
KORMEND (FIBA Europe Cup) - Boras Basket showed signs of life in the early going, but it didn't take long for Kormend to cut off their lifelines and come away with an 85-72 victory in the second leg of the Qualification Round 1 tie.
The Hungarian club had won the first game on the road by 17 points, which guaranteed easy cruising after coping with an unexpectedly hot start by the visitors which had them leading 9-0 a couple minutes into the game.
Turning Point: Kormend used a 10-0 stretch in the middle of the second period to put the cold shower of a poor start behind them, jumping out to a comfortable 37-25 lead with Andre Hollins initiating the spurt with 5 points in quick succession.
Stats Don't Lie: The rims were friendly for the home side at Kormend Arena, with the hosts knocking down 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) of their shots from beyond the three-point arc. For a comparison, Boras Basket shot their free-throws at a worse percentage, only converting 9-of-18 from the stripe.
📸 #SienaSaints greats Brett Bisping and Marquis Wright following their pro debuts Thursday in Hungary...playing against each other! pic.twitter.com/W31bMPTs2Z
— Siena Basketball (@SienaMBB) September 23, 2017
Game Hero: Having come off the bench to start the game, Andre Hollins brought the fire with him when he entered the court with the second unit, finishing the evening with a team-high 15 points and 6 assists.
Bottom Line: It was an easy 163-133 victory on aggregate for the Gasper Potocnik-coached Kormend side, who will now have to come up against Steaua Bucuresti in Qualification Round 2.
They Said: "Congratulations to Kormend and the fantastic atmosphere they have. I wish all the best to them. I think we played better than we did at home. We had better flow and then we stopped. My guys performed better this time. Now we have to go home and hopefully we will get everybody back to get a full roster to start the championship." - Boras Basket head coach Henrik Svensson.
"First of all, congratulations to my team. We did a good job today as a team. Everybody got a chance and everybody got minutes and they used them quite well as a team. Congratulations to the Boras team too. They started very well with good defensive aggressiveness. It was a tough game. We really had to show our best on the court. I wish them a good season and, for us, we have to forget this win immediately." - Kormend head coach Gasper Potocnik.
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