Tartu is the 2024 European capital of Culture but first basketball game of the calendar year didn`t went so well. The home crowd favorites suffered a 71-94 loss against the Bakken Bears on Wednesday, January 3, at the Tartu Ülikooli spordihoone in southern Estonia.
Players of the game
DeAndre Pinckney continued his amazing run with the Bakken Bears.
A Southern Miss star scored 26 points on 11/19 shooting from the field.
Power forward grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked two shots.
Pinckney averages 26.0 points in the ENBL.
Noah Sorensen was huge from the bench and had 16 points on 7/10 shooting from the field.
Ryan Evans (Wisconsin 2013) also scored 16 points.
A Chicago born forward added seven boards and one block.
Malik Parsons (Northwestern Oklahoma State University 2023) and Skyler Bowlin (Missouri Southern State University 2011) also finished in double figures.
They scored 14 and 10 points respectively.
Rain Veideman led Tartu with 14 points.
A 32 years old guard shot 5/7 from the field, including 3/5 from the three point line.
Robin Kivi also scored 14 points, while Anatoliy Shundel had 12 points.
Key stats
Tartu Ülikool Maks&Moorits experienced a scoring drought in the first half.
The hosts shot 13/41 from the field or 31%.
Meanwhile, the Bakken Bears went 17/33 from the court or 51%.
The visitors excelled on the fast breaks (2-10 at the half).
Tartu controlled the offensive glass (11-6 at the half) and scored more second chance points, 15-5.
Märt Rosenthal and Kristjan Kitsing went 1/10 from the three point line in the first 20 minutes.
The Estonians improved their shooting in the second half but...so did the visitors.
Five Bears scored in double figures and the Aarhus team posted a big victory.
Anders Sommer`s men scored 21 points on fast breaks.
Game notes
Bakken Bears Aarhus improved to 3-0, while Tartu dropped to 3-1.
The Danish team ended Tartu`s 5-0 streak on the home floor.
Bakken Bears had only eight available players.
Everyone played at least 16 minutes.
ENBL access: follow the game on YouTube live stream
Format
Four best teams from each group will qualify for the playoffs (A1-B4, A2-B3, A3-B2, A4-B1).
The 2024 playoffs – home and away, best-of-two series – will take place from February 1 until March 20.
The 2024 Final Four will take place on April 9-10.
Standings, as of January 3, 2024
Group A
Uniclub Casino Juventus 4-0 (+59)
Bakken Bears Aarhus 3-0 (+64)
Tartu Ülikool Maks&Moorits 3-1 (+15)
Bristol Flyers 3-2 (+43)
Polski Cukier Start Lublin 1-2 (-12)
Landstede Hammers Zwolle 1-2 (-16)
Spartak Pleven 0-4 (-56)
Svendborg Rabbits 0-4 (-97)
Group B
CSO Voluntari 4-1 (+53)
Royal Liège Basket 4-1 (+68)
Zastal Zielona Gora 3-1 (+21)
Šiauliai 3-1 (+11)
Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles 2-2 (+12)
Keila Coolbet 2-2 (-7)
Basket Brno 0-5 (-74)
Valmiera Glass ViA 0-5 (-84)
Tie-breaker 1: Zielona Gora vs Šiauliai 1-0, +26.
Tie-breaker 2: Šiauliai vs Newcastle 1-0, +2.
Tie-breaker 3: Šiauliai vs Voluntari 1-0, +8.
Tie-breaker 4: Liège vs Zielona Gora 1-0, +23.
Tie-breaker 5: Voluntari vs Liège 1-0, +21.