A 2024/2025 TIPOS SBL season-high crowd of almost 2,100 spectators witnessed BC Prievidza dominate the 149th edition of the eternal miners’ derby with local rivals MBK Handlova. Against a shorthanded away team, the hosts fired on all cylinders and secured a convincing 100-85 win.

Scoring 100 points in a basketball game is usually a solid indication of a functioning offense and the underlying statistics confirm a tremendous efficiency. BC connected on almost 66 per cent of their two-point attempts, knocked down exactly half of their long range shots (16 of 32) and were clinical from the free-throw line, as well (78 per cent). Ball movement was spectacular at times, evidenced by 21 traditional assists, most of which preceded by one or multiple extra passes.

Shorthanded by absences, the guests resorted to a zone defense for large portions of the game but its success rate remained limited as the home team managed to punish it consistently from beyond the arc. Despite some heated derby exchanges and a couple of technical fouls on either side, BC’s win was never truly in danger as Handlova’s only lead came early in the first quarter and from midway through the second stanza, Prievidza stayed ahead by double-digits until the final buzzer.

Keith Jordan cemented his status as the league’s top small forward with a 25-point/7-rebound performance. Daishon Smith scored an efficient 18 points and dished out six dimes while Marc Loving made seven of his ten field goal attempts and finished with 23 points. Point guards C.J. Jackson and Dalibor Hlivák combined for 21 points and seven assists while only turning the ball over twice. Hunter Dean only narrowly missed his tenth TIPOS SBL double-double of the season with 13 points and nine boards.

Photo: Vladimír Králik