Stef Schauvlieger (white) scored twenty points. — © Gregory Van Gansen
Basketball BNXT League – Elite Silver: Yoast United – Okapi Aalst 70-73
Aalst –
Aalst continues to perform flawlessly against the Dutch teams in Elite Silver. On a visit to Yoast United, Okapi escaped unhurt after a three-pointer at the buzzer was (rightly) disallowed due to a running error. Zottegem guard Stef Schauvlieger shone in his twenties.
Okapi Aalst is doing well in Elite Silver with a nice report of six out of seven. Only at Leuven Bears did the Onions bite the sand. Okapi has now moved up to fourth place, bringing participation in the Belgian play-offs closer and closer. “The top three get access to the play-offs. If we win in Brussels on Saturday, we will leapfrog to third place,” says Stef Schauvlieger.
The Hofstaden resident who has moved to Zottegem knows that a warm welcome awaits in the capital. “Every year, Brussels organizes an event in Palace 12 of the Heysel and this year Aalst had the honor of participating. A full house is expected, which means that we will play for no fewer than five thousand viewers on Saturday. Well, I’d rather play in front of a wildly enthusiastic audience that supports the opponent than in a cold hall. We will undoubtedly also be able to count on the support of a horde of Aalst supporters. Even on Dutch trips, we are always accompanied by our loyal supporters. Brussels is a lot closer, so we can expect our fans to be loud there.”
Not below market
On a visit to Yoast United, Ivan Maras once again led the way with a double-double (ten points and twelve assists). Stef Schauvlieger caught the spotlight and was crowned top scorer with twenty points. “It went well, but the victory was of course more important than my personal performance. I am happy that I contributed with a strong match. I played with a lot of confidence and that obviously helps.”
After an exciting match it became a bit scary. “We led 70-73 when a Dutchman missed his free throw, but grabbed the rebound. He walked out to score the necessary three-pointer, but forgot to dribble. Even before his shot was disallowed, the ref had already blown his whistle, meaning the basket could not be validated. So I was confident about the outcome. We were underwhelming against the talented Yoast United. Several Belgian teams have already lost in the Netherlands, so we can be proud of our victory.”