Unrewarded comeback: Wels lost the 111th derby against Gmunden

This 111th Upper Austria basketball derby may not have been the best, but sometimes it “just” takes intensity, high tension right up to the last second and bitter duels to get 1,050 fans in the almost completely sold-out Raiffeisen Arena in Wels. Superliga defending champion OCS Swans Gmunden won the thriller against the host Flyers with 78:71 (36:30) and made the all-time record 81:30.

“We played really well against a strong opponent, that’s why I can still smile,” said Wels assistant coach Stephan Frost, who had stepped in as boss for the ill Sebastian Waser and had struggled with one or two whistles from the referees.

In the finish, the Messestadters, who had to give the lead to Gavrilo Tepic and Arvydas Gydra, acted too hectically. Gmunden also played its entire routine without captain Daniel Friedrich, who wants to start training again next week with a mask after his nose bone operation. Above all, Benedikt Güttl, who made everything clear with a flawless “three” 34.1 seconds before the final siren to make it 74:67.

“We fought, everyone gave it their all,” said the 29-year-old international, who had to endure a lot during the game. First Güttl suffered a painful crash on his back, then he was hit in the nose. If you want to triumph, you have to suffer – especially in a derby.

Blazan was the top scorer

Wels fought back from an early 15-point deficit (18:33/16th) and even led 63:62 with 4:42 minutes left. But it shouldn’t work. “It’s very bitter, Gmunden was happier, a derby defeat hurts twice as much,” said Renato Poljak.

Someone else became the top scorer, namely Swans ace Toni Blazan (18 points, seven rebounds). “I’ve been there for a long time, but a win like this over my local rivals is still special,” emphasized the 31-year-old, who missed the first duel of the season with the Flyers due to a shoulder injury. On November 1st, Gmunden also left the floor as winners – at that time it was clearly 81:61.