Technic Brno had 15 3-pointers as a team and 20 points from Tereza Zítková (above) in their last game. Their next opponent is Czech Cup winner KP Brno on Sunday at 5 p.m. Photo: Zeb Telfer
Brno, February 28 (BD) – Big win propels Zbrojovka into match at Sparta; mmcité+ Brno starts play in Group A2; Kometa preparing for postseason; and the Brno sports schedule.
The Kralovo Pole Brno women’s basketball team has existed since 1960. It has been in the top league since 1962. On Sunday, they finally reached the absolute top: KP Brno won it first Czech Cup.
After getting past Žabiny Brno in the semifinals, KP Brno beat Sokol Nilfisk Hradec Králové, 72-69, on Sunday in Nymburk to take the top prize of the annual tournament.
“Hradec was an incredibly strong opponent, tenacious, and nothing was clear until the last minute,” said first-year KP Brno coach David Zdeněk. “It was an amazing final.”
The standout player was Edita Šujanová and she was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. The 33-year-old power forward totaled 24 points in the final.
“I can really appreciate the value of this first trophy from the domestic competitions for KP Brno,” Šujanová said. “And I think there’s still more in the future.”
Ilona Burgrová had 14 points. Eva Kopecká added 11 points.
In the semi-finals, KP Brno faced cross-town rival Žabiny Brno, winning handily, 38-71. It started as a competitive game, but, in the final seconds of the first quarter, Sarah Beránková hit a 3-pointer that turned a modest difference into a nine-point lead. When the second quarter started, Žabiny were not able to turn the tide as KP Brno pulled away with several unanswered points and never looked back. Overall, KP Brno had seven 3-pointers; Zabiny had none as they tried in vain to get back in the game.
In the consolation final, DSK Basketball Nymburk beat Žabiny Brno, 87-77.
Fifteen 3-Pointers Not Enough for Technic Brno Win
Technic Brno did many things right in their Wednesday night 75-89 loss to visiting BK Lokomotiva Trutnov. They jumped out to an 11-0 lead. They hit six 3-pointers in the first quarter. They finished the first half on a 13-5 run. They made another six 3-pointers in the third quarter. And Kamila Selucka converted a four-point play to cut the deficit to two points after three quarters.
Unfortunately, during the fourth quarter, Technic Brno was not able to keep up their scoring and Trutnov took complete control of the paint, both scoring from close range and grabbing rebounds.
“We had a really good first half,” said forward Aneta Půlpánová, who had seven points. “We said in the locker room (at halftime) that we had to keep it going. But, we just couldn’t do it. We are afraid to win.”
Technic Brno is in last place in the ZBL with a 2-17 record. It had more 3-pointers (15 of 28) than 2-point baskets (13 of 43).
Trutnov (5-14), a small mountain town located in the Krkonoše mountains, focused on moving the ball into the paint. They were only 2 of 11 from 3-point range.
“I think it’s in our heads,” Půlpánová said. “During practice we know what to do but we can’t do it during the game.”
Tereza Zítková was the leading scorer for Technic with 20 points. Hana Gašicová was 5-for-6 from 3-point range and totaled 17, both personal season bests.
Technic Brno next plays against crosstown KP Brno on Sunday. The game starts at 5 p.m.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Zbrojovka beats No. 2 Olomouc, Preps for Sparta
Rafael Acosta, in his first game in home colors, scored in the 29th minute to give Brno the lead and, eventually, the 1-0 victory over second-place Olomouc on Saturday.
The Uruguayan striker got a pass from Ladislav Krejčí in the middle of the penalty box and tapped it into the left corner of the goal.
This Sunday, Zbrojovka travels to Prague to play Sparta. The game starts at 6 p.m.
Sparta is always a big game. New-addition 24-year-old Konstantin Bazeljuk, a Russian striker from Moscow, is still questionable. He is not being rushed into the lineup with the belief that he will be more important to the team later in the season when he is at 100 percent.
Since Roman Pivarník arrived as the coach, Zbrojovka has four wins, three loses, and a tie. Two of the three losses were by one goal; the other was at league-leading Viktoria Plzeň.
Zbrojovka is now in 12th place of the 16-team league with 18 total points.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
mmcité+ Brno Uses Cup Win to Prepare for Group A2
mmcité+ Brno begins play tonight in Group A2 of the Kooperative NBL when they face NH Ostrava at 5:30 p.m. Brno then returns home on Saturday to host Fio banka J. Hradec on Saturday.
mmcité+ Brno got a momentum boost when they beat an undermanned KK Helios Suns Domzale, 78-40, on Saturday to advance in the Alpe Adria Cup.
Brno (6-16) will play home and away games with SLUNETA Ústí nad Labem (11-11), BC GEOSAN Kolín (10-12), USK Praha (9-13), NH Ostrava (6-16) and Fio banka Jindřichův Hradec (1-21) as part of Group A2. In early April, two teams from Group A2 will rejoin the top half of the league for the Play-Offs. The bottom four teams will move into the Play-Out Bracket; the last-place team from the Play-Out Bracket will play the top two teams of the lower league to retain the right to stay in the Kooperativa NBL next season.
MEN’S HOCKEY
Kometa Resumes Play, Playoffs Coming Soon
Now that the Winter Olympics have concluded, three games remain in the regular season of the Tipsport extraliga for Brno, starting with league-leader Plzeň tonight at DRFG Arena at 6 p.m.
On Friday it is off to Olomouc for a 5:20 p.m. start and the regular season ends with Litvínov in town for a 4:20 p.m. start on Sunday.
Kometa, the defending champions, are guaranteed to advance into the postseason. The playoff schedule will be announced.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: Technic Brno 75, Loko Trutnov 89
Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno 1, Olomouc 0
Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno 71, Žabiny Brno 38, semi-final of the Nilfisk Final 4 in Nymburk
Monday, Feb. 26, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: DSK Basketball Nymburk 87, Žabiny Brno 77, Consolation final of the Nilfisk Final 4 in Nymburk
— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno 72, Sokol Nilfisk Hradec Králové 69, Final of the Nilfisk Final 4 in Nymburk, 6 p.m.
BRNO SPORTS SCHEDULE
The schedule for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the next two weeks. All dates and times subject to change. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018
— Men’s Basketball: NH Ostrava X mmcité+ Brno, 5:30 p.m.
— Hockey: Kometa X Plzeň, 6 p.m.
Friday, March 2, 2018
— Hockey: Olomouc X Kometa, 5:20p.m.
Saturday, March 3, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: Žabiny Brno X U19 Chance, 4:30 p.m.
— Men’s Basketball: mmcité+ Brno X Fio banka J. Hradec, 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: Technic Brno X KP Brno, 5 p.m.
— Hockey: Kometa X Litvínov, 4:20 p.m.
— Men’s Football: Sparta Praha X Zbrojovka Brno, 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 10, 2018
— Running: BBP 9 – Běh kolem Myslivny
— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno X Loko Trutnov, 3:30 p.m.
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno X Mladá Boleslav, 3 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: DSK Basketball Nymburk X Technic Brno, 4 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: SBŠ Ostrava X Žabiny Brno, 8 p.m.
— Men’s Basketball: USK Praha X mmcité+ Brno, 6 p.m.
The Brno Sports Report is published every Wednesday. All dates and times are subject to change. Most of the stories are about the traditional “English-speaking” team sports — football, hockey, baseball, basketball, American football, rugby, etc. — but it is also about the interesting local spectator and participation sports — tennis, badminton, running, horse racing, swimming, rock climbing, biking, etc. If you have any suggestions for what should be included, please comment below or send an email to brnosports@gmail.com.
