Cine sa fi crezut (si sa recunoastem, nu multi fani mureseni credeau in victorie): BC Mures a trecut cu succes de aceasta provocare si a reusit sa bata liderul campionatului, Mediasul, in ultima etapa a turului. A fost o batalie apriga, cu destul de multe momente spectaculoase si o groaza de emotii, care a adus probabil cea mai meritata victorie pentru baietii in alb. Gazul Metan a jucat probabil cel mai prost meci din acest an, dar meritul le revine castigatorilor - muresenii au fost pur si simplu mai buni in aceasta seara.

Aproape 2000 de spectatori au umplut Sala Sporturilor pentru a vedea doua echipe bine organizate dar si decimate de accidentari. In timp ce oaspetii au fost nevoiti sa se bazeze pe o banca mult mai scurta cu absentele lui Phelps, Jucan si Dehelean, gazdele nu ii aveau pe Jakab, Pociukonis, Vajda si Pascu. Totusi mai erau multi jucatori de valoare gata sa-si arate talentul in teren sub conducerea a doi dintre cei mai respectati antrenori din liga - Bruno Soce si Audrius Prakuraitis.

In primul sfert am vazut aproape la fel de multe faulturi ca si puncte, arbitrii fiind hotarati sa opreasca din timp orice fel de comportament nesportiv. Cooley a spart gheata cu o treita iar Howell a raspuns imediat cu aceeasi moneda. Masiulis a strans repede trei greseli personale, apoi a aratat cine este stapanul inelelor cu un monster dunk peste Titus Nicoara. Dumitrescu a marcat si el din downtown pentru ca Mediasul sa ia un avans de 23-20 dupa primul sfert.
Dupa prima pauza scurta mediesenii au avut de trait o serioasa seceta de puncte, in timp ce cosurile de la distanta ale lui Sheard, Tomic si Cooley au intors soarta primei reprize. Rezerva Catalin Vlaicu a avut si el o contributie serioasa care a incheiat sfertul doi cu o interceptie si a dus scorul la pauza la 50-40.
Tigrii au reusit sa mentina presiunea si in sfertul trei datorita apararii sufocante si a preciziei din atac. Cooley si Peciukas au inscris din nou din spatele semicercului, iar Masiulis a mai inscris un slam dunk devastator. Inca cinci puncte castigate in acest sfert si diferenta a crestea, 72-57.
Sfertul decisiv a inceput destul de rau pentru oaspeti, aproape patru minute fara puncte inscrise. Intre timp amfitrionii inscriau necontenit iar Vlaicu a obtinut un cos cu fault pentru a se ajunge la cea mai mare diferenta de pe tabela, 22 puncte.
La o asemenea diferenta de obicei zarurile sunt aruncate, dar Mediasul a siut sa piarda cu stil, realizand un run final mai ales cu aportul lui Mitchell, cel care a fost surprinzator de 'tacut' in prima parte a partidei. Lucrurile puteau lua o turnura neplacuta, insa doua greseli stupide pedepsite cu tot atatea greseli tehnice de catre arbitri au anulat aceasta revenire.

BC Mures a obtinut a saptea victorie din acest sezon cu scorul de 89-77, si lucrurile incep sa arate un pic mai bine pentru tigri, mai ales dupa o asemenea performanta halucinanta. Fiecare jucator a avut o contribuie majora la aceasta victorie indiferent deminutele jucate. Chiar si cu faulturile acumulate atarnand deasupra capului, Masiulis si Peciukas s-au aparat agresiv, iar Sheard a strans un numar neverosimil de recuperari, zece la numar, si dand un capac incredibil. Vlaicu a jucat cu multa determinare, Pora a reusit sa-l sufoce pe Mitchell, Cooley a fost mai precis ca niciodata, iar Tomic a fost aceeasi sursa de energie omniprezenta. In ceea ce priveste punctele inscrise, Masiulis si Cooley au avut cate 20, iar Peciukas a contribuit cu 19.
Mediesenii au fi dorit sa castige pentru a ramane in fata Asesoftului, dar energia lor nu s-a dovedit a fi destula. Procentajul foarte prost de la trei puncte din prima repriza si de la doua puncte in partea a doua a fost rezultatul oboselii dar si a apararii superbe a muresenilor. De asemenea lipsa unor rezerve importante si faulturile acumulate si-au spus se ele cuvantul.

Statistica meciului

Happy Holiday(s) !
BC Mures - Medias 89-77

Believe it or not - and let's face it, not many fans had faith in a Tiger win - Mures took the challenge and beat the leaders, Medias, in the last weekend of the regular season in 2009. A very hard fought battle, with quite a few spectacular moments and a ton of emotions, brought maybe the most deserved win for the team in white. Gaz Metan played perhaps their worst game of the season so far, but let's give credit where credit is due - Mures were simply better tonight.

A crowd of almost 2000 filled the City Arena to see two well organized, but crippled teams. While the visitors had to rely on a much shortened bench, missing Phelps, Jucan and Dehelean, for the home team health problems kept Jakab, Pociukonis, Vajda and Pascu away from the game. Still, many quality players were ready to showcase their talents on the court, led by two of the most respected coaches of the league - Bruno Soce and Audrius Prakuraitis.

The first quarter brought almost as many personal fouls as points, the referees wanting to stop any reckless behaviour in time. Cooley cracked the ice with a trey, but Howell responded immediately. Masiulis gathered very quickly three fouls before making his point with a monster dunk over Titus Nicoara. Dumitrescu added another downtown shot and Medias took a 20-23 lead after the first.
After the short break Medias found themselves in a serious scoring drought, while the on-target threes of Sheard, Tomic and Cooley overturned the faith of the first half. Add to these the inspirational play of bench man Catalin Vlaicu, who capped the quarter with a great steal, and pushed the home team's lead to double figures, 50-40.
The Tigers managed to keep up the pressure in the third quarter, thanks to an energetic defense, and a precise attack. Cooley and Peciukas found the target again from behind the arc, while Masiulis took off for another thunderous slam dunk. A plus five for the period, and Mures increased the gap, 72-57.
For the guests the decisive quarter started pretty badly, with no points scored in almost four minutes. Meanwhile the home boys kept on scoring and Vlaicu stretched the advantage to a maximum of 22 point with a three-point-play. Usually, there's basically 'game over' at a moment like that but Medias went down in style, capitalizing on a late run on the shoulders of Mitchell, surprisingly quiet earlier on. The scare could have been even worse, but a couple of dumb mistakes turned into technical fouls hampered the recovery for good.

Mures went on to win their seventh of the season, 89-77, and the future looks a little bit better after an ecstatic game like this. Every player contributed in a major way to this success, no matter how many minutes they played. Even with major foul troubles hanging around their neck, Masiulis and Peciukas played strong defense, while Sheard was absolutely terrific with ten boards and an athletic block. Vlaicu fought with a lot of ambition, Pora managed to suffocate Mitchell, Cooley played more precise than ever, and Tomic was an everpresent source of energy. While the points don't tell the whole story, the stats say that Cooley and Masiulis both had 20, followed closely by Peciukas with 19 points.
Medias really wanted to win in order to stay in front of the not-so-mighty Asesoft, but their energy level was just not enough. Terrible three point shooting in the first half, and weak two point attempts in the second can be the result of fatigue, but also of the great defense Mures showcased. Foul troubles and a short bench also took their toll, and, of course, the pressure of the Jungle isn't a small factor either.

Game stats