Bakken Bears are your 2024 European North Basketball league Champions. Aarhus team defeated CSO Voluntari, 85-81, on Wednesday, April 10, at the packed Sparekassen Danmark Basketball center in central Denmark.
First quarter
Voluntari took an early 9-2 lead after two slams by KeyShawn Feazell and a left corner three by Trevon Allen.
Malik Parsons put the Bakken Bears on the scoring board.
Northwest Oklahoma State University superstar scored eight points in the first quarter to turn the tide for the Final Four hosts.
DeAndre Pinckney converted an alley oop slam to give first lead for the Bears, 12-11.
Allen regained a 12-14 lead for Voluntari after hitting a frontal three and being fouled at the same.
He missed a free throw, however, Alexander Olah secured a rebound.
Voluntari wasted a possession and Bakken Bears finished the first quarter on a 6-0 run for a 18-14 advantage.
A run was highlighted by a hustle play from Sylvester Berg.
Second quarter
Ryan Evans scored his first seven points in the second quarter to spark a new run for the Bears.
His three pointer increased Aarhus lead up to 10 points, 29-19.
Another three from Skyler Bowlin followed soon after, 32-21.
Eight Bears scored until that moment.
Voluntari recovered with a 0-11 run.
Lucas Tohatan and KeyShawn Feazell combined for eight points.
The game was tied at 32 after a three by Trevon Allen.
Skyler Bowlin answered with his own three, 35-32, with 25 seconds left in the first half.
Trevon Allen tied the game at 35 with a buzzer beater.
A former Idaho Vandal scored 16 points in the first 20 minutes.
Third quarter
Teams exchanged opening blows and Allen tied the game at 37 – this time from the charity stripe.
A 10-0 run followed by the Bears, highlighted by Pinckney slam dunk and two consecutive threes.
Laszlo Polyak and Malik Parsons exchanged three pointers in a span of a few seconds, 50-40.
Back-to-back threes followed by Trevon Allen and DeAndre Pinckney, 53-43.
Allen was on fire and scored five more consecutive points – he had 26 points in less than 23 minutes of playing time.
Bakken Bears responded with a lightning 6-0 run.
DeAndre Pinckney didn`t finished a four point play but Aarhus team secured a rebound and
Noah Churchill converted another three, 60-48!
Kodi Justice converted two free throws and KeyShawn Feazell sank a three pointer to cut the gap to 10 points, 63-53.
Fourth quarter
Laszlo Polyak was fouled at the three point line and didn`t missed a single free throw, 63-56.
Skyler Bowlin and Kodi Justice exchanged three pointers.
Pistol added one more three with more than eight minutes to play, 66-62.
Evans repeated Polyak scenario and sank all free throws, 69-62.
Feazell finished a three point play, 69-65.
Kodi Justice hit a three, 69-68, with 06:03 to go.
Ryan Evans hit a jump shot.
Michel Diouf was fouled under the basket.
A seven time Danish champion made both free throws, 73-68.
Trevon Allen floater and a three pointer by Kodi Justice tied the game at 73 with four minutes left.
Malik Parsons sank both free throws, as Voluntari reached a team foul limit, 75-73.
And one play by DeAndre Pinckney increased the Bears lead up to five points.
Trevon Allen hit another three pointer, followed by a Diouf slam, 80-76.
Gustav Knudsen committed an offensive foul and his basket didn`t counted.
KeyShawn Feazell made it a one possession game, 80-78.
Fourtieth minute
DeAndre Pinckney grabbed a key rebound with 60 seconds left.
He was fouled 20 seconds later and sank both free throws, 82-78.
MVP, MVP – spectators cheered.
Ainars Bagatskis took a last timeout with 40.5 seconds left.
Gustav Knudsen blocked Kodi Justice.
Voluntari pressed until Trevon Allen fouled with 17.8 seconds left.
Noah Churchill made the first and missed the second free throw, 83-78.
Trevon Allen slipped on the floor but made a pass.
Several more passes followed and JT Shumate hit a three, 83-81, with 5.2 seconds left.
Anders Sommer called his last timeout.
Skyler Bowlins received a pass from Ryan Evans and was fouled with 4.0 seconds to go.
He made both free throws.
Laszlo Polyak missed an uncontested three pointer from the right corner.
Fascination!
ENBL final, April 10, Sparekassen Danmark Basketball Center
CSO Voluntari – Bakken Bears 81-85 (14-18, 21-17, 18-28, 28-22)
Voluntari: Allen 31 (2p 4/6, 3p 7/9, a new Final Four record in three pointers made, 1p 2/3), Feazell 16 (2p 6/10, 3p 1/3, 1p 1/1; 8ab), Justice 14 (3p 4/6, 1p 2/4), Polyak 9, Shumate 7, Tohatan 4, Nicoara, Mitchell, Olah, Vida; Miseailo. Coach Ainars Bagatskis.
Bakken: Pinckney 23 (2p 3/7, 3p 4/6, 1p 5/6), Parsons 16, Evans 12+10 rebounds, Bowlin 11 (seven rebounds, five assists), Churchill 7, Berg 6, Diouf 6, Knudsen 4; Oriane, Vinther, Madsen, Erichsen. Head coach Anders Sommer.
Referees: Oskars Lucis (Latvia), Dariusz Zapolski (Poland), Andrada Csender (Denmark).
All Star team: Kodi Justice (Voluntari), Malik Parsons (Bakken), Shaquille Keith (Šiauliai), Trevon Allen (Voluntari), EJ Anosike (Liège).
MVP: DeAndre Pinckney (Bakken).
SCHEDULE (local time only)
Tuesday, April 9
Liège Basket 79-80 CSO Voluntari
Šiauliai 77-90 Bakken Bears
Wednesday, April 10
Liège Basket 83-73 Šiauliai
CSO Voluntari 81-85 Bakken Bears
21:00 Award ceremony
Final Four history
Wloclawek 2022: Anwil Wloclawek, Šiauliai, Basket Brno, Tartu University
Ostrów Wielkopolski 2023: BM Stal Ostrów, BC Wolves, Start Lublin, King Szczecin
Aarhus 2024: Bakken Bears, Voluntari, Liège Basket, Šiauliai