Both Pepinster and Ural Great went into tonight's game with a pair of defeats to their name, underlining the need for a first win in the FIBA Europe League.
It was Pepinster who emerged triumphant, condemning Ural Great, who reached the FIBA Europe League Final Four last season, to a third consecutive loss.
Pepsinster were the underdogs going into the contest but they produced a determined performance. Their combination of an inside-outside game, along with some ferocious interior defense (Douthit and Van Dorpe combined for 12 blocked shots) gave the home team the advantage.
Ural Great stayed within striking distance and the deficit never reached more than 8 points, but they could get no closer.
The third quarter started ominously for the visitors as US player Darren McLinton had to leave the game with an injury. They stayed in contention but the wheels began to come off any comeback attempt into the fourth quarter.
Pepinster proifted from Ural Great's carelessness with the basketball and three-pointers from Aleksandar Zecevic and Sebastien Maio sealed a first win for the Belgian club.
Valderemas Chomicius, Assistant Coach, Ural Great:
"I thought we were ready for this game but we weren’t. We lost the match because we played without discipline..The team isn’t balanced. We base everything on 4 players, but when we have to do some rotations we lose control of the game."
Eddie Casteels, Head Coach RBC Verviers-Pepinster:
"I am very satisfied with the victory. I realise game after the game what we have to work on. The biggest problem remains rebounding. Our guests took too many offensive rebounds but today I’ve seen an impressive Marcus Douthit."
Gerben Van Dorpe, Pepinster captain:
"We were sure to win that game. Even when our opponents tied the game in the second half, we took back the lead very quickly to get an important victory."