PLKK 10/2008 - Rybnik 76, Siemens 73

It was the kind of setup you wanted, if you were a team struggling in the middle of the Polish pack. Rybnik (6-4) had a grand total of two weeks off - a bye week, no Eurocup or Euroleague obligations, a chance to shake off the Jia Perkins fiasco - and was fortunate enough to face Siemens (1-9), a team that hasn't won an away game all year. Siemens kept it close but fell 76-73 to Rybnik and fell to 12th place among 13 teams in the PLKK.

You can find the boxscore at the end of the post. A game writeup can be found here.

It was also the kind of game that Rybnik let get away from them. They were confident going into halftime with a 46-31 lead. (Perhaps, too confident.) Siemens kept it even in the third quarter when Alice Perlińska and Katarzyna Kenig shut down LaTangela Atkinson defensively. Siemens then staged a comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring Rybnik 25-14 with Kenig and Perlińska scoring 20 of those 25 points.

It was the kind of game for which you wish you had play-by-play. With 21 seconds left, and the score 76-73, Siemens only had one four to give. Skillful ball handling by Rybnik let Rybnik hang on to the victory.

Both teams shot well - each team shot 50 percent from the field, but 12 of Rybnik's baskets were 3-pointers. Rebounding for each club was also even. Rybnik made a couple more turnovers than the visiting Siemens team. However, Rybnik sent Siemens to the line 13 times, whereas Rybnik only got seven chances the entire game to hit a free throw - and only hit four of them.

The real player of the game for Rybnik was Natalia Trafimava. Trafimava had 11 points with seven rebound and eight assists. (Siemens had 12 assists for the entire team.) LaTangela Atkinson would add 17 points and 7 rebounds - but also turned the ball over six times. Elżbieta Międzik scored 17 points, four rebounds and three assists.

As for Kasha Terry, she only scored six points and six rebounds. She would only play 23 minutes of the game.

Katarzyna Kenig was the clear leader for Siemens with 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Alicja Perlińska was the clear points leader with 25 points and only the second player to score in double figures for Siemens. Olga Żytomirska also scored eight points and seven rebounds for Siemens.

Pictures will come when I can find them.