Historically successful Bakken Bears living a Danish fairy tale
AARHUS (FIBA Europe Cup) - This international campaign has been like no other for Bakken Bears, who are now roaming previously-ungrazed territory and playing with house money in the FIBA Europe Cup.
One of only two teams still undefeated in the Second Round, the Danish champions have already achieved historic results by scalping Tsmoki-Minsk, Mornar Bar and Szolnoki Olaj in Group K.
In seasons past, the Aarhus side had never registered more than a single win in the second phase of any international competition. Nor has any other Danish club.
"This is a fairy tale for us and we intend to continue it."Bakken Bears head coach Steffen Wich
After one-point wins over Tsmoki and Mornar, the Steffen Wich-coached team completed the clean sweep in the first half of the Second Round by outgunning Szolnoki Olaj 100-96 in a typically high-scoring fashion.
"It was a huge four-point win after winning the last couple of games by only a single point. This is a fairy tale for us and we intend to continue it," said the 51-year-old head coach, after improving to 3-0 in the Group K standings.
A large part of the team's success can be attributed to the high-flying star DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell, who has carried the team on his back plenty of times this season.
"Our top scorer DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell was very well guarded by their defense. It was like going to a party wearing three jackets."Bakken Bears head coach Steffen Wich
The guard confirmed his stand-out status on the team by making the decisive free-throw in the first Second Round game in Minsk, nailing an overtime game-winner in the second, and leaving his fingerprints all over the latest triumph with 11 fourth-quarter points.
"Our top scorer DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell was very well guarded by their defense. It was like going to a party wearing three jackets," an upbeat coach Wich joked in the press-conference. "In the fourth quarter, he exploded when we needed it."
Bakken Bears have qualified from the Group Phase of an international competition three times, but have never tallied more than a single victory in the phase that followed before bowing out.
They scored a win against Mlekarna Kunin in the FIBA Europe Cup Central Conference Play-Offs in the 2004-05 season and went 1-5 in the Second Rounds of the FIBA EuroChallenge and FIBA Europe Cup in 2013-14 and 2015-16, respectively.
Having reached previously unseen levels of success in the FIBA Europe Cup this year, some pressure will be mounting on Bakken Bears to take this historic opportunity as far as possible.
How far can the fairy tale last? Before anything else, securing a place in the Round of 16 would be an excellent place to start but coach Wich's team already have demonstrated they can compete with just about anyone in the competition.
But as fairy tales go, only time will tell as to whether their magical spell in the FIBA Europe Cup will come to a happy ending.
FIBA
