Sweden Basketligan: Three unbeaten after G2

The Swedish Basketligan completed the second round of league competition on Tuesday with three clubs remaining unbeaten, Borås, Södertälje, and Norrkoping. Borås used a big first frame over Jämtland to pick up their second win in as many games. Norrkoping came from down six to win by six after outscoring LF Basket 32:20 in the fourth quarter. Södertälje earned a comfortable 14-point win over Solna. In the other two games Sundsvall’s 92:53 win over Nässjö, and Uppsala’s 89:82 victory over Orebro gives those winners their first win on the season.

Borås – Jämtland, 100:92
The first quarter was the difference in this contest as Borås put up eight points on Jämtland and then held off any challenge presented to pick up win number two in the Basketligan. James Miller, Jr. dropped 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds on the night to lead Borås to victory.

A 10:0 run midway through the first quarter set up a 23:15 first frame. Michael Palm knocked down a triple to open the second frame and start a 7:0 run that extended Borås’ margin to 16, 31:15. Jämtland fought back though, cutting the deficit to just six at the end of the half, 49:43. In the third and Eric Saleman three-ball gave Jämtland the lead, 57:56 for the first time since there were just over three minutes played in the first frame. Borås started pulling away after regaining the lead shortly after giving it up and built an advantage of seven, but took a five-point lead into the fourth, 70:65. Jämtland knotted the score at 75, then took the lead at 86:85, but Borås ran off seven unanswered and hit 10 of 10 from the line down the stretch to outlast the challenge, 100:92.

As a team Borås was 87% (27 of 31) from the line.

Miller was 12 of 22 from inside the arc and 6 of 6 from the line on his way to the 33 to lead Borås to the win. Christopher McKnight added 25 points (9 of 9 from the line) and 9 rebounds. Michael Palm scored 16 and hauled in 8 rebounds.

Adama Darboe paced Jämtland with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Brandon Peterson added a 16P/15R double-double, and Omar Zaghdane and Egal Saleman dropped in 13 each.

Norrkoping – LF Basket, 84:78
The Dolphins opened the contest with an easy 20:8 first, only to then give up 12 in the second quarter, and eventually outscoring LF by 12 in the fourth to pick up a six point win.

Edgar Jeromanovs led Norrkoping with 21, while teammate Jan Tomanec added 20 points and 9 rebounds to the win. Christopher Ryan let LF Basket with 19 points and 7 rebounds, while Timothy Whitworth tallied 15 and Logan Stutz added 12 points and 9 rebounds.

A 13:2 run to close out the first quarter gave Norrkoping a 20:8 advantage after the first 10, but LF Basket turned the game around in the second with a 20:0 run from 27:11 to 27:31, in just over five minutes. Norrkoping got the lead back just prior to the clubs heading into the locker room for the mid-game intermission on a Tomanec, 32:31. A 15:2 scoring run by LF Basket put them up 50:39 with just over four minutes left in the third. Adnan Chuk sank a lay-up with 5 seconds to play in the third to cut the gap to 6, 58:52 in favor of LF Basket. Tomanec knocked down a triple to give Norrkoping the lead back and then he sank lay-up shortly after to cap an 17:4 run and get up by five, 69:64, with just over four minutes to play. Jeromanovs connected on six in a row from the line in the final 43 seconds and hit a triple with 1:22 to play to ice the contest for Norrkoping.

Södertälje – Solna, 92:78
Mantas Griskenas scored 28 points and grabbed 9 rebounds as the Södertälje Kings beat the Solna Vikings, 92:78. The win was Sodertalje’s second to remain with Borås and Norrkoping with 2-0 records on the early season.

Södertälje scored the final six points of the first quarter on two triples, to get up by six, 24:18. The lead grew to 13 in the second frame, but Solna ran off eight unanswered to cut the lead to four, 40:36. Griskenas hit a pair of free throws with 17 seconds to play in the first half and Solna came up empty on their attempt at a last second shot, giving Södertälje an eight-point lead, 47:39, heading into the break. The margin expanded to 18 at the mid-way point of the third frame, but an eight-point run by Solna cut the margin to 10. Södertälje took their turn at a scoring run at the end of the third, running off the final six of the frame to build the advantage back to 16 as they headed into the final 10, 71:55. A nine-point scoring run by Solna in the middle part of the final frame cut the lead to four, 81:77, but an 11:1 drive to close out the game gave Södertälje the win.

Behind Griskenas’ 28, Martin Pahlmblad and John Roberson scored 20 each, with Roberson adding 8 assists.

Stavros Toutziarakis scored 16, while the trio of Jim Nystrom, Serkan Inan, and Taj McCoullough all scored 13 with McCoullough also grabbing 9 rebounds.

Uppsala – Orebro, 89:82
Uppsala got 21 points from Liam Rush and an 11P/11A double-double from Thomas Jackson as they picked up their first win of the season. Orebro drops to 0-2.

Behind Rush and Jackson, Axel Nordstrom and Johan Jeansson scored 12 points each. Orebro got 21 points from Ronald Christopher Boggs and 20 points from Nebojsa Pavlovis. Sean Smith scored 8 and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Sundsvall – Nassjo, 92:53
Sundsvall put together a huge second quarter that saw them add 19 to their advantage, but were able to add to the margin in the third and fourth with more big quarters. The win is the first of the year for Sundsvall, while Nassjo falls to 0-2.

Sundsvall was led by Alex Wesby, Aegir Steinarsson, and Andre Nilsson’s 14 each, William Gutenius added 12, and Tom Lidén scored 11.

Nässjö got 12 from Daniel Persson, and 11 from Alexander Lindqvist.