First win for the Botevgrad squad

Double double for Atanas Radev

22-10-2007 03:04

The team of Balkan Botevgrad reached their first success of this year’s edition of the national championship, beating Sliven this afternoon with 96-65.

The hosts dominated during the four quarters and not for a single minute let someone doubt in the final result. The difference was growing and growing and there was a moment it was 31 points in favour of Balkan, no matter they showed very bad per cent from the 3-pointer line (3/15). However, they were good under the basket, where the made 34 from their 49 attempts (69,4%).

At the half time the advantage of the hosts was 13 points, but in the beginning of the third period it fastly grew to 20. Sliven succeeded decreasing it to 12 points, but that was all they could do in the game. Until the end of the fight, nothing could stop Balkan.

The best on court was the forward of Balkan – Atanas Radev who finished with a double-double – 29 points and 12 rebounds. Ivan Lilov was the other to accompany him. The young talent of Bulgaria scored 23 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, gave 4 assists and made 4 steals. The American in the lines of Georgi Mladenov – Dwayne Morton is continuing with his good performance, finishing with 20 points.

For the team of Sliven only two players passed the two-digits border. Dimitar Georgiev scored 19 points and Nikolay Dinev added 18.

Balkan over jumped his opponent, grabbing 35 rebounds, while the guys of Sabin Marinov took only 22.
In the next round on Wednesday, Balkan visits Yambol and Sliven faces the champion Lukoil Academic in the “city of the blue stones”.

FULL STATS FROM THE GAME BALKAN - SLIVEN