Alba Fehervar wins 2017 Hungarian League Championship

It took five games but TLI Alba Ferhervar eventually emerged as victors and claimed the 2017 Hungarian League Championship. They defeated a worthy opposing club in Falco KC Szombathley 78-71 in Game 5 of a thrilling finals series. This marks the fifth league championship of the organization. The last time they held the gold trophy above their heads was in 2013. Before their 2013 win, they went through a long dry spell, with their other three titles coming in the late 90s. It was a bitter loss for Falco KC, as this would have been their first Hungarian A Division championship. That said, knowing that they have come this far and this close to that highly coveted trophy, expect Falco KC to build on their 2016-17 campaign and be a fierce competitor in 2017-18.

This Game 5 win for Alba was hard earned. They had to overcome a double digit deficit from the first half in order to contest for it. They made use of their size advantage and got most of their points from close range. Alba also got the upper hand when it came to controlling the boards. They outrebounded Falco KC 43 to 38. While that gap may not be too big, in a relatively close game such as this one, any advantage a team can get is much appreciated and utilized to great effect.

Winston Shepard paced the champs with 18 points, while Alhaji Mohammed and Justin Edwards chipped in with 15 and 13 points, respectively. The Alba squad pulled through in the second half and overcame a big game from Falco KC’s Darrin Govens, who ended up with a game-high 20 points and eight assists.

For now, Alba will get to enjoy the fruits of a season well played and look to 2017-18 with eager anticipation as they hope to defend their crown.