The study round was for the Giants. In the Martini Plaza – filled with 3,750 spectators – there was also a large delegation of Antwerp fans who saw how Nikola Jovanovic led the sinjoren to a 6-12 bonus with scores in the paint. Defensively, the Antwerp players were not on their toes in the first quarter, they lost the ball several times and the Dutch immediately punished this. The three Dutch referees also made a mess in the first quarter, allowing Groningen to respond.
The trio John Meeks, Nick Tomsick and David Gabrovsek ensured Groningen’s comeback. After a 10-0 intermediate spurt (16-12) the score went to 21-16, after which a poorly defending Antwerp faced a 27-21 deficit.
Even at the beginning of the second quarter, the Giants did not immediately get into their game. Once again Meeks, Tomsick and Gabrovsek were the driving forces behind the 31-25 lead. The Giants continued to hold on (32-30) and kept the tension going. With a score from Yoeri Schoepen the score went to 38-37. The first half ended with the score 45-45.
Three-pointers
Thanks to Jean-Marc Mwema, who scored several three-pointers, it quickly went to a 49-57 Antwerp bonus in the third quarter. The train seemed to have left, but Antwerp’s defense was again lax, allowing the Dutch to quickly reassemble. Groningen connected at 57-58 and took the lead after 66-64. Jean-Marc Mwema made it an exciting 72-70 score after three quarters with another three-pointer on the buzzer.
The last quarter brought a lot of intensity, but we also saw a lot of Antwerp sloppiness. After 84-80, the Giants briefly took the lead at 86-87 through Rasir Bolton, but then the spring seemed to be broken. Standout John Meeks (23 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists) and David Gabrovsek (24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists) led the Dutch against a struggling Telenet Giants Antwerp to a 96-89 victory for Groningen.
Quartz: 27-21, 18-24, 27-25, 24-19
Donar Groningen: Tomsick 16, Hollanders, Meeks 23, Gabrovsek 24, Adetunji 9, Zuidema 6, Quinn 9, Jung 3
Telenet Giants Antwerp: Veinot 8, Van Buggenhout 8, Sueing 8, Schoepen 5, Rogiers 6, Mwema 12, Jovanovic 10, Kreuser 7, Bolton 25