03/06/2011
Mighty champion
 The best team won, by 10 points (86-76) with a comfortable margin, having been the shortest match played at Dragão Caixa, in addition to being the highest point difference that Benfica were never able to attain at Luz, clearly indicating FC Porto’s superiority and thus reducing the alleged balance on completion of the seventh match. FC Porto Ferpinta are back to being champions, tallying 11 titles, the team having last won the title back in 2004.
 Photo Gallery
The defensive performance, clearly explaining a good deal of FC Porto’s success and that serves as its brand image, brought on the first difference between the contenders and the opponent’s increasing difficulty of the opponent, which over the initial minutes of the first period ran out of attacking time on two occasions. At the other end of the court, Sean Ogirri widened the gap, managing the speed, in addition to choosing, with surgical precision, the right time for the outside shot.
Rampant, the overall lead quickly surpassed the ten-point mark, which, among much oscillation, significantly decreased in the final seconds of the first period and close to the break. Nothing, however, that could halt the determination of a superior team,  especially agile in the manner that the team shuffled the score, with Stempin attracting two opponents’ aggression and opening the way for Terrell’s dunk, a recurring move combining joint effort and brilliance.
The 26-point draw served as a stimulus for the Dragons, who managed to reach the 17-point lead (64-47) in the third period, when Greg Stempin, probably the League’s best player, took on the part of FC Porto’s prominent element, by tallying 10 of the team’s 23 points.
Driven by the fantastic atmosphere, FC Porto Ferpinta resisted Julian Terrell’s send-off, having accumulated a fifth foul with just less than three minutes of play. In fact, over the entire match, Moncho López's team only once were at a disadvantage: over the match’s first free throw.
With 25 points (9 in 9 free throws), 4 rebounds, 2 joint efforts and 3 steal balls, the American Sean Ogirri showed being the most valuable player of the seventh and deciding game of the series that only saw FC Porto players being nominated MVP (Greg Stempin on three occasions, Sean Ogirri and Julian Terrell over two occasions each), clearly demonstrating the team’s unequivocal superiority that never once lost at home, having only been defeated in Coimbra, over the regular phase, and at Luz in the playoffs final. The title’s in the right hands. The best team won.
MATCH REPORT
Third LPB Championship, playoffs, final, match 7
2 June 2011
Dragão Caixa, Porto
Attendance: 2.1 83 spectators
Main referee: Fernando Rocha (Porto)
Assistant referees: Luís Lopes (Porto) and Pedro Coelho (Lisboa)
FC PORTO FERPINTA (86): Sean Ogirri (25), Carlos Andrade (8), Nuno Marçal (7), Greg Stempin (20) and Julian Terrell (11); Diogo Correia (6), João Soares (0), Pedro Catarino (2), Miguel Miranda (2), David Gomes (0), José Costa (0), Nuno Marçal (7), João Santos (5)
Coach: Moncho López
BENFICA (76): Miguel Minhava (5), Ben Reed (14), Sérgio Ramos (11), Heshimu Evans (16) and Gregory Jenkins (2); Elvis Évora (7), António Tavares (5), Diogo Carreira (0), Marquin Chandler (16)
Coach: Henrique Vieira
At half-time: 43-38
By periods: 21-17, 22-21, 23-17 and 20-21
Match 1
13 May 2011
FC Porto Ferpinta-Benfica, 95-69
MVP: Greg Stempin (FC Porto Ferpinta)
Match 2
15 May 2011
FC Porto Ferpinta-Benfica, 93-60
MVP: Julian Terrell (FC Porto Ferpinta)
Match 3
20 May 2011
Benfica-FC Porto Ferpinta, 86-79
MVP: Sean Ogirri (FC Porto Ferpinta)
Match 4
22 May 2011
Benfica-FC Porto Ferpinta, 79-75
MVP: Greg Stempin (FC Porto Ferpinta)
Match 5
26 May 2011
FC Porto Ferpinta-Benfica, 91-79
MVP: Julian Terrell (FC Porto Ferpinta)
Match 6
29 May 2011
Benfica-FC Porto Ferpinta, 85-79
MVP: Greg Stempin (FC Porto Ferpinta)
Match 7
2 June 2011
FC Porto Ferpinta-Benfica, 86-76
MVP: Sean Ogirri (FC Porto Ferpinta) |
