Triple defending champion, Friborg Olympic will not win a 13th Swiss Cup this season. Opposed from the round of 16 of the competition to the Geneva Lions and their recent recruit Juwann James (12 points in 29 minutes), Thibaut Petit’s team lost after an overtime on Wednesday evening in his Saint-Léonard hall ( 88-91).
In the lead after the first half (36-29), the Friborgs were then unable to contain the Geneva attack and its top scorer Jaqualyn Gilbreath. Author of 29 points at 10 out of 18 shooting including 4 out of 7 at 3 points, but also 4 blocks, the American guard scored the last seven points of his team to snatch the victory after an extension won at the buzzer regulation time by Olympic on a winning shot from Natan Jurkovitz.
Still involved in the FIBA Europe Cup, the Friborg champion has been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks: Chimezie Offurum (knee) will no longer play this season, Killian Martin (ankle) will not return until March and Roberto Kovac (calf) end of January. Uncertain before the start of this match against the Lions due to hip pain, Cheikh Sane did what he could (5 points in 16 minutes).
To deal with this cascade of glitches, the Friborg leaders recruited Californian winger Adonnecy Bramah and Swiss international Michel-Ofik Nzege as medical freelancers. If the first, ill at the start of the week, finished the game with 24 points, the second did not weigh on the debates (0 points and 0 rebounds in 12 minutes).
Nyon will see the “final four”!
The second sensation of Wednesday evening took place at the Vallée de la Jeunesse, in Lausanne. Sixth in the SB League, BBC Nyon created a surprise by triumphing over the Foxes (79-75) in the quarter-final of the SBL Cup. The Vaudois, carried by their Australian rear Biwali Bayles (26 points), will therefore be part of the party in Montreux on January 25.
