The Finnish champion Karhubasket will play the first semi-final part of the basketball FIBA Europe Cup in Wloclawek on Wednesday from 19:30.
Kauhajoki already did an exceptionally hard ball game earlier by defeating Porto from Portugal in the quarterfinals with a combined score of 156–145. Bearbasket had won the opening part played in Lisbon by 81–80.
The resistance will get tougher in the two-part semi-final, where the Polish Wloclawek will face off, with whom Kauhajoki already faced off in the first group. In the first group, Wloclawek won Karhubasket in Kauhajoki 93–87, but lost at home to the Finnish club with a score of 88–89.
Bear basketball head coach Janne Koskimies reminds that Wloclawek has strengthened from the autumn encounters.
– A tough team is up against it. The opponent has gotten stronger since we met. They now have two new American players. The good thing is that we have already played in their home hall and we know that a pretty fanatical home crowd is waiting for us there.
During the season, Wloclawek acquired a 196-centimeter for the platform department by Viktor Sanders and 211 centimeters as a center forward Malik Williams.
– Sanders is athletic and brings more foot speed to the defensive end. Young Williams center, who is a good long thrower and brings more threat to their big head. The opponent has several good basket makers with an average score of 10-17 points. Stopping one player is not enough against Wloclawek, says Koskimies.
According to the coach, the Polish opponent is challenging in that sense, because the team is able to play the ball both close to the basket and build shooting positions through the ball screens.
– It is an experienced and versatile team whose offensive play is quite difficult to get off track. Of course, you can take something small from there. We have to be successful in all aspects of the defense and force them into difficult throws, describes Koskimies.
Wloclawek has averaged 86.7 points per game, the best of the remaining teams. Both teams can be found at the top of the FIBA Europe Cup in triple throws. The Polish team has sunk the long throws with 41.4 percent accuracy, which is the second highest number in the entire series. Bearbasket is third in the long throw statistics with 40.6 percent.
Towards a great achievement
Bearbasket’s health situation is reasonable and the team will get eleven players. Kauhajokisilta has a long-term patient on the sidelines, a center who recently underwent knee surgery Simeon Carter. Pier Dikembe Dixson playing is uncertain, as the club’s newest addition injured his leg last Saturday in the Korisliiga.
Finland’s reigning basketball champion Karhubasket has won 12 matches and lost only two of its European matches this season.
– It makes it easier to cope when the results have been good. However, the workload has been really heavy, games and traveling have accumulated a lot. Fortunately, the team has been able to handle the whole thing well in my opinion and take one match at a time – maturely. Until now, I have been satisfied that the focus has remained good the whole time, says Koskimies.
How hard is it for Kauhajoki to reach the top four of the FIBA Europe Cup?
– I’m a pretty young coach myself, and I’m probably not the best to evaluate this achievement when looking back in time. But we (in Finland) have had quite a few club teams participating in bigger ball sports, international games, let alone succeeding there.
– We have been able to compete well and beat good teams from the main leagues, which are considered to be tougher European leagues. This makes us believe that if such an organization and a clear development process can be built in Kauhajoki with 13,000 inhabitants, why wouldn’t it be possible to do it in many other places as well, states Koskimies.
Not a one game playoff series
In the city of Wloclawek, 140 kilometers north-west of Warsaw, the semi-final series is still unlikely to be decided, where the combined result of the two matches will decide. The two-part semifinals will be played on March 29 and April 5. In Kauhajoki, the latter, usually the decisive semi-final, is played.
– You have to go one ball control at a time and remember that this will not be resolved in the first part. This should be thought of as one 80-minute match. As if we are playing the first half in Poland. The most important thing is that the home team doesn’t get to make such a long streak at any point.
– You have to stay on top of the game and be sharp all the time on the defensive end. The opponent must not be allowed to make quick attacks or free throws. We aim for a controlled and intact 40 minutes, says Koskimies, who is doing a top job at the helm of Kauhajoki.
Bearbasket receives support from its fans, who are traveling to Wloclawek to the venue, about 50. Wednesday’s semi-final can be watched live on the FIBA Europe Cup YouTube channel.