Anderson, BC Astana out to make a statement in Final 8: 'We want to leave our impact'

DUBAI (United Arab Emirates) - Karvel Anderson and BC Astana came into the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) Final 8 wanting to make a statement.

While the club has been known in the region for a while now due to their stature as Kazakhstan's winningest basketball organization, the present batch felt that they'd need to introduce themselves being the "new guys" in the league.

Of the teams competing in the inaugural Final 8, only the 11-time KBC champions did not see action in the WASL sub-zone leagues. They qualified by securing the slot designated for Central Asia, which they did by ruling their domestic league.

"We had this mentality before we arrived. I said before, we are maybe an underdog, a team that maybe this league doesn't know so much about. So, we wanted to come here and make a statement," said the 32-year-old Anderson.

So far, Astana have done just that. In the Final 8 opener last 09 June, the team of Coach Oleg Kiselev announced their arrival with a solid display of endgame poise to beat hosts Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai by way of an 80-73 decision.

They would flex their character anew two nights later, overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit to turn back WASL-West Asia runners-up Shahrdary Gorgan, 87-81, to go 2-0 in Group B - and eventually seal their place in the Semi-Finals.

But they didn't stop there.  On Tuesday night, Astana ended Kuwait Club's unbeaten 12-game WASL winning streak, 85-72, to clinch the group's top seed entering the next round.

"I feel like we came into this tournament wanting to make a statement every single game," said Anderson. "It doesn't always mean you win the game, but I think our approach to games so far has helped us get these victories."

Anderson himself has been on the forefront of Astana's unbeaten tour. The Shabab Al Ahli game saw him drop 19 points, including the team's first 12 of the match.

That showing would serve as a prelude of sorts to one of the Final 8's best individual performances to date. He lit up Gorgan with 30 points, firing 11 of their last 15 points to wipe out a 76-72 deficit with under 4 minutes left to play.

He then followed it up with a 24-point outing against Kuwait Club, where he buried 7 3-pointers to set the most triples made in a single game in the Final 8.

The Michigan native, though, deflected the credit to his teammates and to his mentor. "Having a team where we're on the same page and we know what we're playing for, it makes the game a little easier, it gives me a little more confidence," he said.

"Coach yelled at me one time for passing up a shot and things like that just kind of give a player confidence and it allows me to keep going," he added.

Up next for Astana will be the still-undefeated Kuwait Club in a heavyweight clash on 14 June, where the victor will lock the Group B top seed entering the Semis.

Fireworks are expected in that affair, with the Kazakh side viewed to give the inaugural WASL-Gulf titlists a run for their money. And for Anderson, that would be another opportunity for him and his squad to prove themselves.

"We wanted to go here and [leave] people saying, 'Wow, that Astana team plays hard, they play aggressive, and they play together.' I think we've done that," he offered. "And, as long as we continue to do so, then we'll have a chance."

FIBA