The Bakken Bears Aarhus won seven consecutive Basketligaen titles and continue to rule in the Kingdom of Denmark, winning their ENBL debut game at the Svendborg Rabbits, 103-79, on Wednesday, December 6 at the Rise Sparekasse Arena.
Players of the game
Two Bears posted a double-double.
DeAndre Pinckney had 25 points on 9/11 shooting from the field and 4/5 from the free throw line.
Center went 8/8 inside the arc and grabbed 10 rebounds.
A Southern Mississippi star added two assists and one steal.
Noah Sorensen checked in with 12 points and 10 assists.
Young point guard turned the ball over just one and stole the ball twice.
Skyler Bowlin scored 18 points on 6/10 shooting from the field, including 5/8 from the three point line.
A Missouri Southern State University guard had four rebounds, three assists and one steal.
Gustav Knudsen registered six points and a game high four steals.
Jaedon Willis led Svendborg with 20 points on 7/15 shooting from the field and 4/7 from the charity stripe.
A Notre Dame College (NCAA 2) standout had four boards and five forced fouls.
Kean Owolabi Dada shined in his debut and scored 12 points.
Danish guard – born in 2005 – registered one steal too.
Key stats
The Bakken Bears dominated in transition basketball and scored 28 points on fast breaks.
DeAndre Pinckney was unstoppable under the basket, while Skyler Bowlin performed from the deep.
The Svendborg Rabbits fought valiantly and remained at the striking distance after the first half, 51-42.
A 30-12 run in the third quarter secured the game for the Bears, 81-54.
The Bears hit 37% field goal attempts for the three point line (11/29), while the Rabbits stayed at the 22% mark (7/31).
Game notes
Bakken Bears registered their first win in the ENBL.
Anders Sommer`s men are 9-0 at the Basketligaen and have a 10-0 record against Danish opponents.
Svendborg Rabbits have a 9-3 record against local foes, including 9-1 against teams not named Bakken Bears.
Bakken Bears joined the ENBL on November 27, 2023.
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 December 6, 2023
Group A
Bristol Flyers 3-1 (+50)
Uniclub Casino Juventus 2-0 (+31)
Tartu Ülikool Maks&Moorits 2-0 (+31)
Polski Cukier Start Lublin 1-2 (-12)
Landstede Hammers Zwolle 1-2 (-16)
Bakken Bears Aarhus 1-0 (+24)
Spartak Pleven 0-2 (-29)
Svendborg Rabbits 0-3 (-79)
Group B
CSO Voluntari 3-1 (+45)
Zastal Zielona Gora 3-1 (+21)
Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles 2-1 (+20)
Royal Basket Liège 2-1 (+6)
Šiauliai 2-1 (-16)
Keila Coolbet 1-2 (-27)
Basket Brno 0-3 (-21)
Valmiera Glass ViA 0-3 (-28)
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.