Ruckers already has one hand on the championship trophy in the men’s first division of the Surinamese Basketball Association, after the team left the field victorious on Sunday evening in the Ismay van Wilgen Sports Hall: 71-66. Asked what will happen on Tuesday evening – if Ruckers wins, they will be champions for the third year in a row – coach Maikel Meinzak sounds resolute about the True Time: “We always come to win!” However, counterpart Orpheo Zeefuik sees De Arend putting a stop to that. “I’m not just going to win on Tuesday. I’m going to win on Tuesday and Thursday. That’s for sure!” guarantees the coach of De Arend.
Text and image Terence Oosterwolde
Meinzak believes he has taken the 1-0 lead in the best of 3-final “anyway”. “We have prepared ourselves for De Arend, especially the physical game,” he responds. “It got out of hand for a while – Ramlon End was disqualified, Shaun Langguth was given an unsportsmanlike foul and Jason Fisher was penalized with a technical foul, … ed. – but we came back well.”
“We always come to win!”
Ruckers coach Maikel Meinzak
He attributes the turnaround to a different mindset of his players. “We defended better, grabbed our rebounds and less turnovers made.”
Due to the disqualification, Ruckers cannot rely on End in the second game, but Meinzak is not concerned about that. “We have enough men. We can absorb it easily.”
Lost control
De Arend was at least three quarters good at the game for a long time and had full control over it. Zeefuik attributes the fact that it ultimately went wrong to bad luck and the physical and height superiority of the opponent. “Mine center player is injured, so he couldn’t play. The opponent responded to this. Ruckers has placed three tall men, heavy men opposite my short men.”
When asked what needs to be improved in the next meeting, Zeefuik doesn’t have to think long. “The communication and transition. We made mistakes in the transition. We held the ball for too long instead of passing away more quickly. So we are going to work on that.”
Furthermore, on the training day (Monday), the coach will mainly focus on his team’s shots. “We’re going to let the gentlemen shoot. You can’t let them train too hard, but I have to let them shoot.”
Early runs
Barely three seconds after the jump ball it was Jason Fisher, who opened the scoring for Ruckers. After a free throw from Aldridge Daniël van De Arend, Fisher and Michaelsen Isselt scored after quick transitions, giving Ruckers a 6-1 lead. That was reason for coach Orpheo Zeefuik to have one time-out to take.
The interruption had its effect, because De Arend played like new again from the restart. Mitchell Zeefuik initiated a 10-0 runin which he had five points and Clarence Rozenblad one three pointer scored. This put their team ahead 11-6 with 3:47 left.
Arbitral intervention
A minute later, referee Dino Piqué intervened decisively during an upset between Ramlon End of Ruckers and Donegee Stedenburg of De Arend. Both were ejected from the match with a disqualifying foul. They will also miss the next game, as a ‘D’ results in an automatic one-meet suspension.
To the end of the quarter Then followed an unsportsmanlike foul for Shaun Langguth and a technical foul for Fisher, both called by referee Darryle Cotino. In the final 2:31, Fisher and Daniel each scored seven points, including one three pointer for their team, ending the period with a 20-15 advantage for De Arend.
In the second quarter Captain Clarence Rozenblad (six) and Chabbeli Ooiberg (eight) provided the lion’s share of the production at De Arend. On the other hand, it was Dwight Plak, who scored his team’s first eight points, and Ivanildo Ho-A-Hing, who scored the next eight, who shined in attack. With a free throw from Fisher the halftime score became 38-32 De Arend.
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Tilt
Mitchell Zeefuik used a free throw for De Arend 31 seconds after the start of the second half, but when he had to be sent off with his third foul with 8:13 to play, the game completely turned. Xavier Haas managed to score two quick baskets in succession, making it 43-32 with 7:04 on the clock, but from that moment on Ruckers started to catch up.
Ryan de Randamie (four points) and Fisher (seven points, including one three pointer) made all the points in an 11-0 run. This completely closed the deficit and it was 43-43 with 2:54 to go.
At 1:55 the referees had to intervene again and Elray Ritfeld of Ruckers and Rozenblad of De Arend were punished with a double fault. Fisher fired one six seconds after that three pointer but missed the bonus free throw to bring Ruckers in for the first time since the first quarter back in the lead.
De Arend’s answer came immediately, because with 1:23 Rozenblad shot one three pointer hit: 48-48. With a final basket, Haas ensured that De Arend ended the period 50-48.
Fourth quarter
After misses and turnovers on both sides was the Rose Leaf, who struck again with a three pointer: 53-48 with 8:19. Alexander Akrum made De Arend 54-50 with a free throw at 7:41, but after that things were difficult. With two baskets in a row, Isselt ensured that Ruckers tied the score: 54-54 with 6:01.
Even the reintroduction of Mitchell Zeefuik could not turn the tide for De Arend. Haas had two three pointers one after the other, making it 60-60 with 3:10, but the momentum was clearly on Ruckers’ side.
“I’m going to win on Tuesday and Thursday. That’s for sure!”
The Arend coach Orpheo Zeefuik
In addition to his height advantage, Fisher, among others, exploited his physical advantage over De Arend’s players. With a crucial one three-point play with 1:45 Ritfeld finally closed the match: 67-60. In the remainder of the playing time, the teams took turns scoring, but Ruckers’ lead was no longer in danger.
Fisher (three three pointers) ended with a gaming high thirty points. Plak and Isselt contributed twelve to ten points. At De Arend, four players scored in double figures: Rozenblad (15/three three pointers), Hare (14/two three pointers), Ooiberg (12) and Mitchell Zeefuik (10).
