Balkan maintained their perfect record in the National Basketball League after beating Spartak Pleven 77:71 away from home in the most closely contested game of the fifth round. The Botevgrad team trailed by 10 points at halftime, but turned the game around after a strong third quarter and recorded their fifth win in five games. Aleksandar Stoimenov was the top scorer for the winners with 21 points, while Javante McCoy added 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Jalen McCloud finished with 23 points for Spartak.
The Pleven team led 44:34 at halftime, but Balkan won the third quarter 22:12 to level the score at 56:56. The visitors managed to hold on to their lead in the final minutes. After the game, Balkan coach Bogdan Karaichich said:
“This is the best game I have attended in Bulgaria.”Balkan’s next game will be at home against Lokomotiv Plovdiv on November 13, while Spartak will visit Shumen two days later.
Rilski Sportist and Lokomotiv Plovdiv record convincing wins
Rilski Sportist beat newcomers Politehnika 95:65 in Dupnitsa. Miroslav Vasov scored 20 points, Krasimir Petrov added 16, and Hristo Bachkov finished with 14 points for the Samokov team. Politehnika remain winless after their first five games. Rilski Sportist have a 4-1 record and will visit Beroe in Stara Zagora on November 14.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv defeated Cherno More 85:69 at the “Sila” hall. Jomarou Brown and Tomislav Minkov scored 22 points each for the hosts, who returned to winning ways and now have four wins and one loss. Cherno More suffered their second consecutive defeat. In the next round, Lokomotiv will visit Balkan, while the Varna team will host Politehnika.
Comebacks for Botev Akademik and Botev 2012
Botev Akademik won 96:93 against Yambol away from home. The Plovdiv team led 50:39 at halftime, but the hosts turned the game around before the final quarter. Botev Akademik regained the initiative in the closing minutes and recorded their fourth win in five games. Nikolay Mihaylov was the top scorer with 28 points and 15 rebounds, while Sean Moore added 23 points and 12 rebounds. Yambol remain without a win since the start of the season.
Botev 2012 ended their run of four defeats with an 89:84 home win over Beroe Stara Zagora. The hosts built a 14-point lead, while the visitors managed to cut it to five in the final minutes. Mark Freeman recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists, while Stanislav Hinkov scored 17 points. Both teams have a 1-4 record.
Shumen edge CSKA
Shumen defeated CSKA 95:89 in Sofia to record their fourth consecutive win. The visitors controlled most of the game, but the hosts stayed within striking distance until the final minutes. Shumen have four wins and one loss, while CSKA have four defeats. On November 15, Shumen will host Spartak Pleven, while CSKA will visit Botev Akademik.
The fifth round will conclude with the Levski–Minyor 2015 game in Sofia. The match is scheduled for 13:00.
Sources: bgbasket.com, bntnews.bg, sportal.bg