Former SBL Star Wins Swedish National Title
Former Sydney Spirit star Liam Rush has led his Swedish team, the Sundsvall Dragons, to an unlikely 75-69 Game Seven upset of the Solna Vikings to win the Basketligan title.
Sundsvall were sixth on the ladder before Rush joined the team. The Dragons surged after his arrival however to score a stirring win over the reigning Swedish champions in the decisive Game Seven, clinching their first-ever title.
Rush top-scored for Sundsvall with 23 points, nailing 7-of-8 two-pointers, 2-of-5 three-pointers and 3-of-3 free throws. His teammate Olivier Ilunga contributed 21 while adding eight rebounds and a game-high seven assists.
Jonte Flowers starred for Solna with 18 points, eight rebounds and a game-high four steals while Saulius Dumbliauskas added 15 points and eight rebounds.
The Dragons dominated the first half, leading 52-32 at the half time break. During the second half however the Vikings made a furious comeback to tie the match before actually taking the lead at one point in the fourth quarter.
Sundsvall proved to be stronger down the stretch however as Rush nailed a pair of free throws to help his team defeat the more favoured Solna.
Before he made the critical freethrows, his team looked to be crumbling under pressure, having made just one of six freebies in the final minute despite going 12-of-12 for the rest of the game.
Comments
Comment Guidelines: The SportsTG Network is made up of players, families and passionate sports followers like you who have a strong opinion about sport. That's great - we want you to have your say and share your thoughts with the world. However, we have a few rules that you must follow to keep it fun for all. Please don't be rude, abusive, swear or vilify others. Apart from some pretty serious sport sanctions, we also can ban you and report you if things get out of hand. So play fair and have fun, and thanks for your contribution.