Back to Naisten Korisliiga in Kotka
Saturday evening at Naisten Korisliiga game, what better way to spend a Saturday could you think of ?
Game 1st half ..
Opening exchanges were dominated by the home team as they went on 10 or 12 to 0 run – only for the tables to be turned half way through the half with Honka doing the same and taking the lead.
Game really wasn’t what one is used to seeing from Peli-Karhut – with many turnovers and otherwise ‘sloppy’ plays .. even the experiences Linda-Lotta Lehtoranta was guilty of losing the ball on 1 vs 1 situations couple of times during the opening half of the game.
Both teams were already getting into foul trouble and from the players on 2 or 3 fouls the most significant might end up being Lauren Heard of PeKa …
For the visitors Emma Lampen and Maija Kuisma have stepped up on the scoring ..
To the long break the teams were headed with the home team Peli-Karhut holding a slender six point lead 40-34, it is anyones game at this stage!
2nd half
More of the same – few notables from the 3rd quarter were the unsportsmanlike foul for Honka (Stone) on a late defense on Elli Heikkilä. After the foul Heikkilä limped off the court and returned from the locker room for the 4th quarter with an ice bag on her ankle.
By the 28th minute of the game Honka had all players on the scoreboard – for PeKa – 4th foul for Heard (and possible injury to Heikkilä) – also the lack of points from Linda Lehtoranta (first points at 29th minute – and still zero points for Lotta Vehka-Aho)
Honka on the other hand has all on score board and Cierra Walker found the range from behind the arc – one point home lead as the game headed into the last ten.
Although I did mention to the coach that we might have a 10 O.T game today… so??
On the last 10 – with 4min 30sec to go – Lauren Heard takes her fifth foul and the already short roster for PeKa gets shorter and missing a key player for the last moment of the tied (76-76) game, although from the following attack Emma Ristola of Honka takes her fifth foul – to even the ejected players count. Now the last minutes of the game will be played with PeKa on five player rotation and Honka on eight…
Just a small note that PeKa few years ago won the title in a Finals with only five players available for the last minutes.. so????
Emotions are getting heated in the close game, with especially the home bench and players challenging most calls by the referees – remains to be seen whether the focus remains in the game until the 40th minute.
7-0 run for PeKa seems to turn the game to the home team, but a close game that really serves women’s basketball well and shows why the league really is open as ever this season and the playoffs promise to be anyones game.
And having talked about Linda Lehtoranta for not scoring early on – with her experience, you don’t need to score many points, just score the RIGHT points and with a minute on the clock it looks like she has done just that!
One key in the game definitely has been the ability of PeKa to keep Grace Stone quiet – with only ONE game situation basket made in the whole game, this reflected to her 16 points per game average over the whole season.
Sometimes also the name in the back of your shirt can help you get away with things in the game…. not mentioning any more , those who were at the game know!!
You could really see that the teams/player/coaches were already now thinking of playoffs and trying to take the upper hand on the opposition as well as the upper hand in influencing the referees .. some challenges and others would NOT be requested in a normal regular season game.
The scoreline of 87-82 might show a bigger gap than what it really was between the teams, but a closely contested and heated game that definitely would make the fans come back for more …
Home team 20+ point each for Devonshire, Pounds and Kosonen.
Top scorers for Honka – Lampen, Walker and Ristola.
