Ongwae's Bakken Bears inch closer to Danish Cup finals
Kenyan professional basketball player Tylor Okari Ongwae in White playing US college basketball at the University of Louisiana Monroe in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Mr Ongwae now plays for Swedish side Solna Vikings and hopes one day to play in the NBA. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Horsens and Preston Bungei's Randers Cimbria are neck-and-neck in the other semi-final. Horsens won 98-88 at home on April 22 before losing away 100-92 (April 26).
- The Bears recently bagged their second successive Danish Cup title after seeing off Horsens 82-80 in after overtime. They are chasing for their fifth straight league title and 19th overall.
Tylor Ongwae's Bakken Bears are one victory away from qualifying for the Denmark basketball topflight (Basketligaen) final after a record-breaking 119-101 win over Svendborg Rabbits in Game Two of their semi-final on Monday night.
Bakken, who welcomed back Kenya Morans' small forward Ongwae from a hamstring injury, broke the record for the most points in semi-final match held by SISU, who beat BMS 117-104 in 1984.
Coach Steffen Wich's men lead the five-game series 2-0 after defeating Svendborg 106-90 Game One on April 22.
Reigning champions Bakken will wrap up the series if they win on Thursday in Vejlby-Risskov Hallen.
In the second game, Basketligaen top scorer QJ Peterson was in omnious form from the start of the match. He scored the first eight points of the match. More than half of the first period had been played before Bears players other than Peterson scored. That was when Michel Diouf on two free throws put the Bears 15-9 ahead.
Rabbits regrouped and from several attacking rebounds, went 19-18 up and 21-20 before the Bears ended the period with nine points in a row, five from Daniel Mortensen.
The Bears won the first ten minutes 29-21. A well-playing Oscar Jorgensen started the second quarter by hitting two threes for Svendborg. However, it was still the Bears who were in control for good parts of the period, including Ongwae getting a three for the Bears to lead 56-51 at halftime.
The frowns in the Bear dressing room during the half-time break were primarily aimed at the defense, as the home team had scored 30 points in the second period. That it was addressed during the break, there was no doubt when the third quarter started.
Brandon Norfleet scored two points at the start of the period, but it was the home team's only basket in the first three minutes, with the Bears conversely scoring 12 points and leading 68-53.
The Bears even widened the gap to 22 points late in the third period after Michel Diouf scored two three-pointers before the Rabbits reduced it to 89-70 at the end of the third quarter.
The Bears maintained a lead of about 15 points until less than four minutes of the game remained when both Brandon Tabb and Sebastian Tabb hit some big shots to reduce the deficit to nine points at 107-98.
After a time out, QJ Peterson with two layups and Deshawn Stephens with a single could decide the match which the Bears won convincingly 119-101.
As many as seven Bears players scored at least 10 points. QJ Peterson registered 26 points, eight rebounds and 5 assists) followed by Deshawn Stephens (22 points, 4 rebounds) and Ryan Evans (15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists). The Rabbits got their most points from Brandon Tabb (25 points, 5 rebounds) and Sebastian Aris (17 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists).
Horsens and Preston Bungei's Randers Cimbria are neck-and-neck in the other semi-final. Horsens won 98-88 at home on April 22 before losing away 100-92 (April 26).
The Bears recently bagged their second successive Danish Cup title after seeing off Horsens 82-80 in after overtime. They are chasing for their fifth straight league title and 19th overall.
