The champions started with a difficult win

The champions of SIGAL-UNIQA Balkan League - KB Sigal Prishtina started the defense of their title with a difficutl win. The team visited BC Beroe in a Group A game and won 80-73 after a hard fought battle. Both sides wanted to win and gave their best at the moment and had some good minutes. The debutants from Beroe played well and missed some chances to take the victory. Sigal showed more experience in the decisive moments and it proved to be enough. Next week Sigal will host Kozuv while Beroe is visiting Mornar.
 
It was a difficult start for both teams as they weren′t making shots and did a lot of mistakes. Still Beroe led by 5 points in the middle of the first quarter as the team scored three three-pointers and with a basket at the end of it were up by 6. Sigal though started the second with 9-0 run to take the lead for first time only for Beroe to answer with 7-0 and regain it. The visitors tied quickly, then both teams exchanged baskets but still the visitors held a 3-point advantage at the break.
 
Beroe started well the second half and tied the score and then both teams exchanged points. With the game tied at 44 the visitors made a 9-0 run to pull away and had the lead until the end of the quarter. Their advantage was cut to 5 after Evrik Gary scored a triple to leave the hosts with a chance.
 
Khalid El-Amin was the top scorer for the winners with 23 points. Mohamed Abukar also played well with 16 points and 6 rebounds as Stanimir Marinov added 14 points.
 
For the home team Evrik Gary and Tihomir Zhelev had 14 points apiece as Aleksandar Todorovic added 13.

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FULL STATS FROM THE GAME BC BEROE - KB SIGAL PRISHTINA