Steff Schauvlieger was one of the strong players at Okapi Aalst this season. — © Gregory Van Gansen
Basketball BNXT League – Elite Silver: Okapi Aalst – Den Helder Suns
Aalst –
In Leeuwarden, Okapi Aalst lost with the smallest difference after a buzzer beater. It was the first defeat against a Dutch opponent. On Friday, the Onions want to end the season in the Forum on a positive note against Den Helders Suns.
Steff Schauvlieger is already looking forward to the final match. “We want to have a big party with the fans after the match. Of course we want to win our match first. We had a tough time at Den Helder, but in the final phase we opened a ten-point gap. Unfortunately, that did not work out in Leeuwarden. Defensively we had a difficult first half, which led to a 44-40 halftime score. We left at 10:30 in the morning, with a stopover for a bite to eat, but we had had a bus ride of more than four hours. Offensively it was still good before half time, but in the second half the finishing sputtered.”
The denouement gave Okapi acid reflux for tampering with the clock. Schauvlieger evened the boards (66-66) with six seconds left. “Leeuwarden still had possession of the ball for a while before crossing. When Siebe Ledegen made a mistake, it turned out that the clock was still at six seconds and was therefore not turned on. The refs had to go to the screen and manually count whether the error happened within time. Unfortunately, they decided so and the free throw was converted. It tastes sour to lose like that. We should have taken control of the game earlier. We should have defended more tightly before half time, although some baskets were the merit of the talented Leeuwarden shooters. Leeuwarden appears to be a strong home team that can do more for its own people.”
© Gregory Van Gansen
Difficult season
Steff Schauvlieger, together with captain Ivan Maras, took Okapi in tow in Leeuwarden. The Zottegem guard is keen on a resounding victory against Den Helder. “We had a difficult season, although we flirted with a stunt against Ostend and Limburg. Things went a lot better in Elite Silver, but we couldn’t get a ticket for the play-offs. We have to have a party with the fans against Den Helder. It would be nice to win by a wide margin. It remains to be seen whether Tito Casero will be patched up. Tito stays with Okapi and so no risks are taken anyway. Coming to next season, it goes without saying that Ivan Maras will add another year after a fantastic season. I hope that Lazar Mutic will also remain, although that may also depend on other proposals. Mutic not only offers added value on the field, but is also a great guy for the group.”