Thanks to an easy 89-72 away win over Yoast United, Donar has reached the semi-finals of the play-offs for the national title. Reigning national champion and arch-rival Heroes Den Bosch awaits there.
Willem Brandwijk wasted no time prior to the quarterfinals of the play-offs for the national championship. Donar’s forward thought that the Groningen team should finish the meeting with Yoast United in two matches. On Wednesday evening, the first hurdle was taken in Martiniplaza – with some difficulty. Donar dropped considerably after the break in that game, saw Yoast United almost make up for a twenty-point deficit, but still put things in order in the final minute: 75-65.
A day later, the second game of the best-of-three series followed in Bemmel. Half an hour before the start, the warm-up was interrupted for commemoration of the dead. Players and fans were silent for two minutes after a short speech, after which the Wilhelmus sounded in the Gelderland sports hall and the warm-up was then completed without exciting music.
Top scorer Cole shows his class
In the first quarter, both teams were close to each other on Thursday evening. Yoast United was always on the right side of the score and that was mainly due to Vincent Cole. The top scorer of the BNXT League, who was sent out of the hall a day earlier in Martiniplaza with two technical fouls and furiously strode towards the changing rooms, showed his class several times. He boosted his season total with three striking three-pointers.
Donar also managed to find the ring from a great distance in the first quarter. The Groningen team threw four three-pointers through the net. The last, in the final second of the first quarter, by Sander Hollanders, gave Donar the first lead of the evening: 17-18.
In the second quarter, Donar still had no grip on Cole. The young American kept throwing in the balls from all angles and positions and at the halftime signal he already had six striking three-pointers and a total of 21 points. Yet it was the guests who went to the dressing rooms with a lead of seven points (39-46).
Donar doesn’t get confused
After the break, Donar kept the lead. Although Cole continued to throw three-pointers (he made eight in total), Donar was not flustered. With a score of 68-73 halfway through the fourth quarter, it seemed to be tense for a while, but the Groningen team only awarded the tired home team four points in the final phase. Donar stayed focused, ran out again through three-pointers from Brandwijk and Vernon Taylor and eventually won 72-89.
Donar will meet in the semi-finals of the play-offs Heroes Den Bosch. The team of former Donar coach Erik Braal started the season very well and did not lose a single game in the national competition. During the cross-border phase, the North Brabant team fell apart and won only two of the ten games.
Last season, Donar also met the Bossche arch-rival in the semi-finals of the play-offs for the national title. The Groningen team then had little to say in those matches and lost 3-0 without a chance.
The best-of-five series starts on Wednesday, May 10 with a game in the Maaspoort in Den Bosch. Two days later, in the hunt for the eighth national title, Donar receives the reigning national champion in Martiniplaza.
Characteristics
Yoast United – Donar 72-89
Quarter positions : 17-18, 22-28, 17-22, 16-21
Donar Scores: Taylor 17, Brandwijk 14, Hollanders 13, Gaddefors 12, Mounce 11, Branch 9, Olisemeka 5, Williams 5, Magdevski 3,
Top scorers Yoast United: Cole 31, Casero-Ortiz 19
Next game: Wednesday May 10, 20:00, Den Bosch, Heroes Den Bosch-Donar