Basketball – Friborg Olympic crowned after being in hell

For a long time, watching this final of the SBL Cup, Sunday in Montreux, we thought back to the words of Arnaud Cotture the day before after the qualification of Friborg Olympic at the expense of the Geneva Lions. “You can’t take 30 3-point shots.” The captain castigated here the tendency of his people to shoot too much behind the arc on the zone defense. But Petar Aleksic’s formation did worse against Massagno. She was at 6/22 at the end of the 3rd quarter before finishing on a sublime 7/13 during the last 15 minutes! Because yes, there was an extension at the Pierrier room…

Facing the only team that had beaten them this season – in the league – Friborg took control of this final by taking control of the offensive rebound, like the day before against Geneva. But Massagno, who we have rarely seen defending as well as this weekend – even Roberto Kovac held Davonta Jordan in a duel – hung on in the first half, only conceding a gap just before returning to the locker room ( 27-34), after seeing this devil of Jordan steal a ball in the hands of Vernon Taylon, very present despite his bruised ankle the day before.

So far in “man to man” defense, Robbi Gubitosa’s Massagno then went into zone defense and gently made Freiburg lose control, while securing its defensive rebound a little better. “Put the ball inside and stop playing handball,” complained FO coach Petar Aleksic. On the other side of the floor, it was first Taylor and Isaiah Williams who found the address to give the advantage to the Ticino (47-46). And at the start of the 4th quarter, Marko Mladjan, then 0/9 in shooting, opened the tap (54-46).

Stunned but not yet down, Olympic stayed in the game thanks to the individual exploits of Jordan, author of three huge award-winning shots on the zone defense (60-56). But with three minutes remaining, Marko Mladjan scored another long-range shot and split the air with his fist. Massagno then led 65-56 and you had to see the look of his trainer Robbi Gubitosa. The technician, who said on Saturday that his team was there to win, was simply possessed, his fists clenched, looking at his player…

He fell from a great height. Because after a time-out from Petar Aleksic, Friborg finally found access to the circle thanks to Kwamain Mitchell. Natan Jurkovitz then scored a new award-winning shot in the corner of the field and Jordan, still him, stole a third ball in the hands of poor Taylor (65-63). There was a minute left and that’s when Jurkovitz pulled away near the touchline to recover the leather before attacking full center Marko Mladjan and depositing the ball in the circle with his bad hand – the right. Extension!

In this one, Massagno, who still wondered how he had not pocketed the first title in his history, lowered his head never to raise it again. Olympic winger Slobodan Miljanic planted two banderillas from long range and punched his heart out, as his entire bench celebrated an approaching coronation. Mitchell dropped Kovac before fiercely riding past Marko Mladjan. A few minutes later, after a dunk from Arnaud Cotture, the US leader finally offered Friborg a 7th SBL Cup with a final liberating shot.