Teuta started the “playoff” phase with a convincing victory at home against Vllaznia, a match valid for the national men’s basketball championship. The Durrës team completely dominated the Shkodra team in the match played last night at “Ramazan Njala,” coming out triumphant with a triple-digit score of 103-73.

A 30-point difference is the clearest indicator of the coastal team’s superiority in this match. Kristi Gorea sparked the first flames, with the captain of the Durrës team opening the series of baskets with an accurate 3-pointer. Teuta controlled the game well in the first period, winning the 10-minute period 25-18. The coastal team increased their rhythm even more in the second quarter, showing high performance in offense and solid defensive play. Thus, the hosts took the second period 29-15, going into halftime with a 54-33 lead. The second half of the match didn’t change anything for the Shkodra team, as Teuta further extended the lead, winning the next two periods 24-19 and 25-21, to seal the triple-digit success with a final score of 103-73. This victory marks the first step towards the finals for Durrës, taking the first round in a semifinal series of 5 matches, where 3 wins are needed to qualify.

As for individual performances, four local players scored over 18 points. MVP was awarded to Patrick Bacon with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists. Kristi Gorea also had a superb performance, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, adding 5 assists. Brandon Lawani registered 18 points and 8 rebounds, while Jay Small closed with 20 points and 7 rebounds. For Vllaznia, the highest performance came from the usual Craig Saab, with 21 points and 6 rebounds. On April 28, the second semifinal will be played in Shkodra, while a day earlier, on April 27, Tirana and Besëlidhja will play the second act at “Feti Borova,” with the Lezha team having won the first match at “Asllan Rusi.”

/k.s/