Spirou Basket Charleroi may order tickets for the final of the Lotto Basketball Cup. MVP Tyrell Roberts, top shooter with 34 points, led his team to a convincing 67-88 victory in the first game of the semi-final against Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen.

By: Dave Bastiaenssen

Photo: GZaracas

Lots of fight, lots of surrender but also lots of misses at the beginning of the game. Halfway through the first quarter (6-7), Charleroi seized control. Defensively very aggressive. That led to fast breaks and easy lay-ups. 

Tyrell Roberts could not be stopped. The American guard was too quick for his opponents and was very efficient from behind the arc. Roberts counted 18 points at halftime with 4 three-pointers. Marlon Makwa had 9 points in the first half. Charleroi ran further away after 13-24 to 30-44 at halftime.

Kangoeroes Mechelen found no answer to the visitors' stout defence. Domien Loubry was guarded from close range. The home team counted as many baskets as ball losses in the first half (11). Only Walter Whyte (4 out of 5) scored from outside with 10 points.

Charleroi appeared equally sharp from the dressing room. Erikas Venskus scored his second bomb. The twenty points quickly appeared on the board (30-50). Joshua Heath (12 points, 5 assists) maintained the overview and controlled the tempo.

Kangoeroes coach Kristof Michiels tried to get a competitive team between the lines with many substitutions. In vain. The zone defence did not deliver the desired result. Mattias Palinckx was ejected after a technical and unsportsmanlike foul.

An unstoppable Tyrell Roberts, 34 points with six three-pointers, kept the gap around 20 points: 39-64 and 56-82. Charleroi starts Sunday's return game with a 21-point bonus: 67-88.