Torpan Pojat roared with a 46-point opening win in the finals – 46-year-old Tuukkanen unstoppable for the reigning champion | Sport

Based on the first women’s basketball final, you wouldn’t think that Peli-​Karhut from Kotka is chasing its sixth consecutive championship. Torpan Pojat was overwhelmingly superior on Wednesday.

The regular season winner and recent cup champion showed right away in the first women’s basketball final why Torpan Pojat is the favorite of the series, and not Peli-​Karhut, who are seeking their sixth consecutive championship. ToPo beat PeKa in show style with 98–52 (56–36) in Kisahalli.

The guests Randi Brown scored 13 points in the opening period, and PeKa tied the score at 22-22 at the very beginning of the second period, but that was the end of the Kotka team’s joy. ToPo ran away to a 20-point runaway by the break. Taru Tuukkanen inspired.

Tuukkanen was the character of the match with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists. IImar’I Thomas (17/1/4s) and Carmen Tyson-Thomas (16/13/5s) were the other ToPo power women. Brown collected PeKalle 23/3 and Da’nasia Hood 11/3.

– We were well prepared and we have had a goal in these games throughout the season. This was only the first step. It’s going to be an annoyingly long break here, when you have to play the flute for four days. I really like to play against the position, said Tuukkanen in an interview with Ruuttu.

The last time the women’s Finnish championship went outside of Kotka was in the 2016-17 season, when it was Hyvinkään Ponteva.

The Helsinki club has won the Finnish women’s basketball championship last in the 2005–06 season, when the Panthers celebrated the basketball trophy. Torpa Boys can become the eighth team from Helsinki to win the SM gold in women’s basketball.

During its dynasty, PeKa has previously entered the finals as early favorites and with home advantage. The season of Torpa Poikie, which has built its team smartly, has been so convincing this time that it is ready to derail the ruler from its throne in the final series.

ToPo, who won the regular season by far, won 23 of the 24 matches they played. PeKa was second in the regular season after winning 15 games and losing nine.

In last year’s finals, PeKa still beat ToPo directly with a 3–0 win. This season, however, ToPo has won all five clashes between the teams – and quite clearly.