BRATISLAVA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Lucenec built on its leading position thanks to its third straight win, defeating the reigning champion Inter Bratislava 98-77 in the third round of the basketball premiership SBL (Slovak Basketball League) which were played without fans under COVID-19 control measures.
The five-time SBL champion Inter Bratislava, who was to grab its sixth before the pandemic forced the season to end prematurely without a champion crowned, put on a solid start in Lucenec, leading by three points after the introductory period but the home team turned things up a notch and won all the remaining periods under the leadership of the American guard Dominique Hawkins who led the scoring department with 27 points.
Bratislava's budget is significantly smaller this season and the team from Slovakia's capital city got considerably younger with only three players older than 25 years and features only three foreign names.
Several players are still only 16 or 17 years old but have become valuable members of the team since the start of the season. With only one victory in three rounds, the young and ambitious Bratislava is currently in fourth position.
Elsewhere, Svit registered its first victory of the new season, winning in Handlova 89-81 on Saturday.
Insufficient defense marked by only 29 rebounds compared to 53 by the visitor proved to be the key element that led to Handlova's second defeat and put it at the bottom of the rankings.
Svit's Serbian guard and the 2018 MVP Sasa Avramovic had a great night, pushing his teammates to victory with 32 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
Spisska Nova Ves changed its name to the Spis Knights prior to the 2020-21 season and it seems to have brought the team from the mountainous north of the country luck as it currently holds the second spot in the rankings after securing its second win in a row, defeating the Levice Patriots 83-75.
The visitor from Spisska Nova Ves was leading by 13 points at half-time which ultimately proved decisive, but the home team managed to fight the deficit and almost brought the game to a thrilling end despite having only five available players in the second half due to injuries and fouls. Enditem
