Trailing by seven points with less than seven minutes remaining, Fribourg turned the final around against the Geneva Lions (87–77) to retain their trophy.
This Sunday in Montreux, Fribourg Olympic clinched their 10th SBL Cup following a dramatic final against the Geneva Lions. A scenario worthy of the greatest basketball matches.
A nail-biting final
After a commanding semi-final victory over Union Neuchâtel (89–82), Thibaut Petit’s men were confident going into the final. But the Lions had other ideas.
After a tough third quarter (27-16 to Geneva) and a poor showing from the free-throw line, Fribourg found themselves trailing 75-68 with 6 minutes and 10 seconds remaining. It looked as though the script had been written in favour of the Geneva team.
A 19-2 run to turn the game around
But that’s when Olympic’s true character came to the fore. Taking advantage of the five-foul ejection of Juwann James, Noé Anabir and Boris Mbala — three key players for Geneva — the Blue and Whites went on a devastating 19-2 run in the final minutes.
Natan Jurkovitz first levelled the score at 77–77, before Offurum (23 points) and Jonathan Williams (18 points) sealed the victory. Final score: 87-77.
A message sent ahead of the play-offs
Having been beaten by Geneva in last season’s Swiss Championship and Cup finals, Olympic has taken symbolic revenge and sent a clear message to the team sitting second in the SB League table. Having been dethroned, the Fribourg club is determined to re-establish its dominance in Swiss basketball.
With their tenth SBL Cup title and their third consecutive victory in the final of this competition, Fribourg Olympic has cemented its status as a national powerhouse.
💙🤍 Thank you to the fans who came to Montreux!
