Basketball play-off

Gunners back in the game after 82:76 win over Gmunden

Gunner coach Horst Leitner had set his team up perfectly.

(Bild: Mario Urbantschitsch)

Oberwart's Superliga basketball players are back in the (play-off) game, having tied the best-of-five quarter-final series 1:1 with a deserved 82:76 win over champions Gmunden! The third clash in five days will take place in Upper Austria on Thursday.

Intense, heated game
The Gunners found it difficult to get into the game at the start and quickly trailed 2:9. However, spurred on by captain Käferle, they increasingly took command and went 17:15 ahead for the first time shortly before the end of the first quarter. The second then belonged to the home side. They were able to extend their lead to 48:34 by half-time in an intense, heated encounter in which the referees reviewed controversial scenes on the TV screen three times. Tutu, Monroe, Brooks & Co. sometimes reached deep into their bag of tricks and got the fans off their seats with spectacular moves.

Munis Tutu contributed 15 points to Oberwart's victory.

(Bild: Mario Urbantschitsch)

"Very focused performance"
 After the changeover and Käferle's fourth foul, the thread suddenly snapped and the lead dwindled to one point (53:52) within a very short space of time. Yet the rest was again Oberwart play-off basketball at its finest, and even Rombley's fifth foul could not stop the Gunners. They deservedly brought the champions to their knees in the end. "A very focused performance from my team, who never let the opponent's antics put them off," said a delighted coach Horst Leitner. Game three in Gmunden follows on Thursday.