UT Rock: Bronze in Baltic Basketball

By Inga Külmoja
inga.kulmoja@ut.ee

The University of Tartu’s basketball team won a historic medal on April 25th in the SEB Baltic Basketball League (BBL), achieving arguably the best possible place behind two European top-level teams – Lietuvos Rytas and Žalgiris, both from Lithuania.

Reaching the BBL Final Four was already an achievement in itself, as no Estonian basketball team had done it before. “Any additional step would be a bonus”, UT Rock’s head coach, Indrek Visnapuu, said prior to the final games in Tartu. To the fans’ delight, UT Rock managed to reach the bronze pedestal.

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"41042","attributes":{"alt":"","title":"","class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","wysiwyg":1}}]]In the semi-final, UT Rock played an even and enjoyable game against the legendary Žalgiris. The first half ended with an even score; however, the unbreakable defense of the Lithuanian team in the fourth quarter eventually secured them the victory.

In the bronze match, UT Rock beat ASK Riga 77:68. “We started the game quite badly, while ASK Riga succeeded in everything at the beginning,” commented Visnapuu. “However, the following three quarters of the game proved we were stronger.”

The Rock team admitted they were hungry for victory while preparing for the Final Four. “The battle for bronze was a bit of a consolation game for us,” confessed UT Rock Captain Gert Kullamäe afterwards. He added that the opportunity to play in the final might not be repeated in the next few years. “But of course we feel happy about the bronze medal!” the captain asserted.

The university team has given fans reason to rejoice on a number of occasions recently. Last year UT Rock was the first Estonian team ever to reach the semi-finals of the prestigious FIBA EuroCup competition. For the last two years, the team has also won the Estonian championship.

Over time, UT Rock has become the most beloved sports team in Tartu. The Tartu spectators and Rock’s fan club are known as the most emotional - and competent - in Estonia.

See more: www.bbl.net.