.jpg "Берое")
(1).jpg "Левски")
.jpg "Миньор 2015")
.jpg "Черно море Тича")
.jpg "Черноморец")
.jpg "Ямбол")
Balkan take 1-0 lead in semis after a 1-point victory over Levski
Youngster Ivan Lilov was once again instrumental
05-05-2008 20:55
In the first game of the Levski Sofia - Balkan Botevgrad semifinal play-off series, it was the lower seeded (3-rd from regular season) team that took an unlikely away victory over Levski, who used to be 2-nd only to unbeatable Lukoil Academic back in the regular season. At Triaditsa Hall in Sofia Balkan took a decisive 1-point lead 6 seconds from time, after a home team player was adjudged to have fouled Pavle Boljkovac in Balkan's last possession and the Bosnian point guard slotted in the second of his two free throw attempts for the final score of 74-75.
It was visitors Balkan who led through most of the game. In the first half, which finished 36-44, it was mainly due to some quite poor shooting from the charity stripe by all Levski players. Then in the second the hosts almost succeeded in turning it around, even taking the lead once in the third period and a few times in the fourth. But it was some spirited play by Balkan's young shooting guard Ivan Lilov and veteran American Dwayne Morton, too many errors by Levski players and that heavily contested refereeing decision at the end that combined to earn the visiting team a vital first win in that semifinal series (played to a maximum of 5 games). They did it, in spite of all their big men being ejected for 5 fouls, hence having no post players and a huge height disatvantage against Levski in the last couple of minutes.
Ivan Lilov had a game high 25 points, while also grabbing 8 rebounds, despite his perimeter role for Balkan. The teams other regular leading scorer - Dwayne Morton - had 14 points and 6 rebounds to his name, when he was fouled out. The older Lilov brother - Lubomir - was also in double digits in terms of points scored - 10, in less than 17 minutes on the court.
Stanislav Slaveykov led the home team with 17 points and had 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. The other forward Veselin Veselinov finished with 14 points, 4 boards and 6 assists, but was also ejected prematurely, along with center Stefan Georgiev, who had notched up 13 points and 7 rebounds in just 22 minutes of play. American Rob Preston was once again respectable off the bench with a double double - 14 points and 10 rebounds - for the losing side.
FULL STATS OF THE LEVSKI - BALKAN GAME
It was visitors Balkan who led through most of the game. In the first half, which finished 36-44, it was mainly due to some quite poor shooting from the charity stripe by all Levski players. Then in the second the hosts almost succeeded in turning it around, even taking the lead once in the third period and a few times in the fourth. But it was some spirited play by Balkan's young shooting guard Ivan Lilov and veteran American Dwayne Morton, too many errors by Levski players and that heavily contested refereeing decision at the end that combined to earn the visiting team a vital first win in that semifinal series (played to a maximum of 5 games). They did it, in spite of all their big men being ejected for 5 fouls, hence having no post players and a huge height disatvantage against Levski in the last couple of minutes.
Ivan Lilov had a game high 25 points, while also grabbing 8 rebounds, despite his perimeter role for Balkan. The teams other regular leading scorer - Dwayne Morton - had 14 points and 6 rebounds to his name, when he was fouled out. The older Lilov brother - Lubomir - was also in double digits in terms of points scored - 10, in less than 17 minutes on the court.
Stanislav Slaveykov led the home team with 17 points and had 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. The other forward Veselin Veselinov finished with 14 points, 4 boards and 6 assists, but was also ejected prematurely, along with center Stefan Georgiev, who had notched up 13 points and 7 rebounds in just 22 minutes of play. American Rob Preston was once again respectable off the bench with a double double - 14 points and 10 rebounds - for the losing side.
FULL STATS OF THE LEVSKI - BALKAN GAME
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