JWSport Jacek Waszak – Sport journalist
Once again our editors Informacje24 and JWSPORT were on the road in Ostrów Wielkopolski in Poland and reported for you this hit game between Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski and Czarni Słupsk who defeated Arged Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski 83:82. What a game I watched it was a basketball game with emotions and nerves from the beginning to the end.
The match started incredibly easy for the home team. They played fast and effectively and after a few minutes of the game they were leading 10 to 0. Everyone thought in the hall in Ostrów, that today’s game will be easy and it will only be a formality. First points for Black Hawks were scored by Lewis but the game was still dictated by Stala Ostrów Wielkopolski players. After an interesting basket by Klassen the team still lost 6:12. In the middle of the quarter hosts missed couple of shots but Slupsk team used their opportunities and after Jankowski’s three-pointer and Garrett’s free throw they lost only one point to their opponents. Andersson responded with a three-pointer and after that there was a longer period without field goals, despite the fact that both teams had plenty of opportunities. Garbacz was the first one to unblock and Stal was leading by 22:15. Andersson was the only one to score in the second quarter and his team won the quarter by 25:15.
Second quarter was a bit different as Blacks won it 17:14 but hosts kept the lead (35:31). Stalowka quickly lost 13-point lead from the beginning of the period, which was mainly due to three players from Slupsk: Mark Klassen, Anthony Markus Lewis and Kalif Young, who took the burden of scoring points at that point. Eventually after the first half Arged BM Stal Ostrów was leading 40:30.
In the third quarter everyone thought that the situation was still under control of the hosts and the next minutes showed that, although Czarni Słupsk team was not going to accept the fact that they could go home without a win. The fans witnessed an open fight for points. The lead lasted for couple of minutes but started to decrease at the end of the third period. First it decreased to 6, then to 4, then to 3 points, but Stal players came to their senses and managed to bounce back thanks to Michael Young’s three-pointer. Stalowa got off to a 10 point lead which was cut down to 4 points by the Blacks.
They got off to a strong start in the third quarter. Kulig, Klassen and Simmons finished with threes in a short period of time. But that was not all. The next moments were the next fast action and numerous attempts. Lewis and Klassen again missed threes, but Stal was still leading by 50:41.
Fourth quarter started again for Igor Milicic players and they started to work right away and after Denzel Anderson and James Palmer Jr. scored 8 points again. After that Blacks were down only by 48:53. It was getting more and more interesting, especially when Musial showed his good side and his two shots and five points made it even stronger (55:58). Fight lasted till the end, last points of the quarter were scored by Lewis and Stal was leading after that 62:58.
Even though first seven Black’s attempts didn’t hit the rim and points were scored by hosts to make it 66:58, the last quarter was very interesting. Slupsk team came back to the game very fast thanks to Witlinski. Jankowski and Klassen scored consecutive points and the gap was only four points (71:67). Visitors were trying to chase the score and take advantage of the sluggishness.
With 4:33 minutes left Billy Garrett made three free throws and Kalif Young scored two more points to put the Blackhawks within two points at 74:72. Home team was getting more and more nervous and guest team was getting more and more comfortable. Kobi Jordan Simmons was able to save the lead twice by hitting first three-pointer and then lay-up. Beau Beech Iii answered by scoring a three.
Last minute of Bo Beech’s game started. Slupsk player hit first three-pointer and then 17 seconds before the end of the game he scored season opener to give Slupsk team 83:82 lead. Beech was perfect on that play. Beech jumped out from under the floor, took over the ball, passed Damian Kulig with ease and prima donna grace and scored from under the basket. James Florence who desperately but unsuccessfully tried to stop him. The fans in Ostrów almost completely caught their heads.
Billy Garrett made 2 of 3 free throws and Beech made two more to give Ospreys 83:82 lead with less than 9 seconds to go.
This game showed that it was a very evenly matched game and not just a symptom of hosts weakness at the end. We had here all the fight, commitment, no one gave up.
This end in the last quarter was a bunch of nerves of both coaches, and fans were certainly a heart attack because the sports hall was filled to the brim in Ostrów and the audience watched those few minutes standing up to the end.
With 9 seconds left on the board the score was 82:83 for Czarni Słupsk. After a timeout by Igor Miličić Ostrów Wielkopolski team’s coach, the team is on 3 / 4 and has possession, and the ball has James Palmer Jr. trying to lead the last attack and pass to Kobi Simmons,
Despite the support , the Ostwów Steel basketball players were not able to change the result . In the last action of the match mistakes were made and the end of the last quarter was a bunch of nerves of both coaches, and fans were certainly about to have a heart attack filled to the brim Arena Ostrów watched those few minutes standing up to the end. Despite the support, players were not able to change the result. In the last action of the game a step-back mistake was made by Kobi Simmons when the clock showed less than 3 seconds to go.
Stali finally got out of the air with the elements of talent, wide roster, high budget and their own arena with the support of faithful fans. The hosts had nine seconds to avoid a painful defeat, and nothing worked out, they could not even throw in a basket to make a difference.
“I am very happy that we defeated the Polish champion on his own floor. I was afraid of this game, especially at the beginning when we lost by ten points. Fortunately in the second half, like in previous games, we managed to mobilize and won after a game of nerves in the end” – said during the press conference Michał Jankowski, Czarni Słupsk team CEO.
Arged Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski – Grupa Sierleccy Czarni Słupsk 82:83 (25:15, 15:15, 22:28, 20:25)
Stal Ostrów Wielkoposlki : Palmer 8, Simmons 14, Young 9, Kulig 18, Florence 12, Andersson 12, Garbacz 9
Czarni Słupsk : Lewis 22, Musiał 5, Young 7, Beech 11, Klassen 18, Witliński 4, Garrett 11, Jankowski 5
