The men from Erasmus Basketball Association Baros 1 started the season with a bang. In their Second Division D match on Saturday, they beat Agathos from Geertruidenberg by 57-43.
Only a handful of spectators had taken the trouble to come and watch the match in Woudestein sports hall. However, Baros had no reason to complain. The Rotterdam team played a strong first quarter, leading 15-12 by the end. There was a lucky escape in the dying seconds, however, when the ball rocketed against the rim after an impressive shot by Agathos from their own half.
Complacent
Then the team began to get complacent. In the second quarter, the Baros players lost many rebounds, enabling Agathos to take a 20-19 lead after a few minutes’ play. A fierce struggle now followed, with both parties on level footing. Over the course of the second quarter, Baros regained control and, thanks to a few brilliant passing actions and shots, achieved a 33-28 lead.
Impregnable fortress
The third quarter began on a painful note for Baros, with player Alexander Kuchkovskiy leaving the game injured after one minute. But Coach Mansour Einolhagh’s men didn’t panic. Their basket continued to be an impregnable fortress for Agathos, who only scored two points. Baros outclassed their opponents and raced on to 48-30. Meanwhile, Agathos missed one free throw after another, failing to take advantage of even the easiest chances.
After the exciting third quarter, the match had been played. Baros retained their big margin in the fourth quarter and the final score was 57-43.
Title favourites
Player Mannes Bijlmakers is delighted with the win. “We defended incredibly well today. The third quarter was really fantastic. However, our attack could definitely be improved. Our passing still isn’t as accurate as it should be and we need to learn to find each other better on the field.”
This season, the men from Baros won’t be happy with being runners-up and are aiming to win the championship. Bijlmakers: “Last year we came in third and we were reasonably close. This year we’ve managed to hold on to our most important players from last season and we even have a couple of reinforcements. This makes us a real title favourite.”
