"Bomb" in Samokov, after 6 years Lukoil Academic is defeated

Rilski Sportist beat Lukoil Academic

21-02-2009 19:55

The champions from Lukoil Academic were the only team Rilski Sportist had not defeated in the last six years. Today came their turn. After 32 straight wins for Lukoil Academic today the players from Samokov managed to win for the joy of all their fans. The result 87-80 is the least they could get because the hosts led in double digits for most of the time.

This loss is third for "the students" this season and now Levski will have the chance to cut the distance with them with a win in Pleven.

With this win Rilski Sportist showed that now this is a team that everybody in Bulgaria should watch out for. The players from Samokov are playing successfully also in the Balkan league where they won their group and are favourite to reach the Final Four.

In the first five minutes thing on the court were absolutely even when a triple by Hristo Nikolov put Lukoil Academic ahead 13-14. This though was the last advantage the visitors had in this game. Dragoslav Papic answered with a three-pointer and then Willie Deane tied the score. Here the hosts made an 8-0 run before Varbanov scored a basket to make it 26-20 after the first quarter.

Deane scored the first basket in the second quarter for 26-22 but Mirkovic answered with a triple. With less then seven minutes to go in the first half Rilski Sportist took its first double digit lead. Lukoil Academic had cut the deficit to 31-25 but an 8-0 run for the hosts had made the score 39-25. At that moment the people in the gym started to feel that something might happen tonight. At the break Rilski Sportist was ahead 48-35.

The difficulties for the visitors continued in the second half. With good and organized offense and excellent defense in the 28th minute Rilski Sportist took a 20-point lead, 66-46 after a basket from Aleksandar Gruev. Goldwire and Veselinov scored the next five points and cut it to 66-51 but after three the hosts were up 68-52.

With a lot of concentration Rilski Sportist was keeping the big difference in the score and with 3.28 to go the hosts were ahead 80-65. An 8-0 run in the next minute for the visitors made the score 80-73. Then Peterson made one free throw but Deane answered back to make it 81-75 with 1.32 to play. However there was not time for more for Lukoil Academic and Rilski Sportist took this precious and very important win.

Five players scored in double digits for the hosts. Ivan Lilov finished with 18 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

Travis Peterson and Dragoslav Papic added 16 apiece while Branko Mirkovic added 14. Very good second half had Aleksandar Gruev who scored all his 12 points in a short stretches in the third and fourth quarters.

For Lukoil Academic Willie Deane had 32 points and 10 rebounds and Hristo Nikolov added 16 and 8.

In the next round Rilski Sportist will visit Levski in Sofia but before that the team will travel to Kragujevac to play Radnicki on thursday in the first 1/4 final of Eurohold Balkan League. On the other side Lukoil Academic will have to rest because the team was due to play CSKA who already left the championship.