The Bears let themselves be lost in the Spiroudôme and coach Eddy Casteels also did not know what to do with the Karolo’s crushing roller. — © Well
The season is over for Leuven Bears. Spirou Charleroi now also won (79-72) in the Spiroudôme of Leuven, after taking full control at the beginning of the second half.
Tommy Vermeire
Before the break, Bears had the upper hand in the Spiroudôme and Spirou had more than his hands full with John Fulkerson and his mates, so that Leuven went to rest with a carefully built 31-35. However, it was afterwards that Eddy Casteels’ men turned in no time would let ring.
In the third part (31-9) the Spiroudôme woke up and nothing was washed out against the dynamics and ingenuity of the Karolos under the impulse of the unstoppable duo of Makwa (Q3, 14 points) and Jackson (Q3, 10 points). From 31-35 it soon went to 36-35 over 49-37 to 62-44.
31-9 in ten crazy third quarter minutes and Leuven was rolled up. Makwa and co. wiped the floor with the visitors and made Leuven disappear almost completely from the match, the statistics also proved. Bears couldn’t find a solution against his opponent’s spry play. Casteels did not know what to do with the steaming steamroller and Pritzl wanted to force it on his own, but suffered a clumsy loss of the ball and the korf fell on the other side. Typical for the game image in which the demise of Leuven was sounded.
In the final quarter (17-28), Leuven managed to make a fist that reduced the 18 points deficit to 7 points, but that was too little, too late against a Charleroi that had dictated the law so scorchingly hard in the third part that it also turned off the seasonal lights for the people of Leuven.
Thibault Vanderhaegen: “Charleroi grabbed us by the throat after the break. We have tried to get out of that stranglehold, but have stranded on seven points. Makwa and Jackson moved heaven and earth in a disastrous third quarter for us. I can’t be satisfied for myself at the end of this season either: I’m still looking for my best form after the hand injury that mortgaged my season for a long time.
The balance sheet for Bears this season: Leuven misses a quarter-final BNXT, after it had previously missed the semi-finals of the national play-offs at the hands of Kangoeroes Mechelen. Elite Gold also turned out to be too ambitious this season – in contrast to the previous one – and was exchanged for Elite Silver, where Leuven did it flawlessly – read: undefeated -. Leuven also missed out on a semi-final in the cup story, when Antwerp Giants turned out to be too strong.