KORISLIIGA, Finals, Game # 5: Panther statue stays in Lappeenranta
Number # 5 is LrNMKY's lucky number! The Final Game # 5, LrNMKY�s fifth visit this season to Joensuu and the first victory on the road in Joensuu Arena in the most important game of the season. LrNMKY, Lappeenranta won over Kataja, Joensuu 76-85 (41-50) and won by the same Finnish Championship 2005-06 and the wanted Panther Statue. Quarters: 15-22, 26-28, 18-13, 17-22. Thus LrNMKY re-newed last season Championship. LrNMKY learned a few things during the Finals series. Most of all LrNMKY learned to play as a Team and understand the value of the rebounds. LrNMKY had also more experience; when playing the 84th game of the season together, the players know so well each other already. Andre Foreman (198-F/G-69, college: Salisbury St.) was today the MVP. Foreman will be 37 yo after three weeks, but he led all players in points (30). Foreman had 23 pts already after the first half. There were three other LrNMKY players in double figures. Actually all the six key players Head Coach Mika Turunen is giving usually playing time, can be satisfied with the impact and of course results. Matt Williams (201-F-77, college: Montana) led LrNMKY in rebounds (10) and Chanan Colman (192-G-84, college: Chipola JC) with assists (7).
"This season has been unbelievable. Alltogether 84 games, Finnish Cup victory in December, reaching the semifinals in the Eurocup Challenge Round and now the second Finnish Championship in two years! But the results do not change my plans. Being 17 years as the Head Coach of LrNMKY, it�s time to do and act somewhere else - for the moment", said Mika Turunen, a happy man.
Kataja won the second silver during the 11 seasons, club has been playing in Top Division level. Alex Wesby (198-G-80, agency: R.H.Consultancy, college: Temple) is an excellent player, missing all his three point attempts today, though. Petri Virtanen (184-G-80) had to play big minutes in each game and was in fact Kataja�s only point guard. Another NT player Sami Lehtoranta (205-C/F-79, agency: ANYPEX) had a good season during his first year in Joensuu.
Kataja - LrNMKY 76-85 (Wesby 28/7, Virtanen 14/3, Jones 13/9, Lehtoranta 12/8, Kordyaka 6/5, Kyro 3/1 - Foreman 30/7, Williams 18/10, Colman 16/5, Riihela 10/8, Kumpulainen 8/6, Merzoug 3/2).

  CUP: LrNMKY win first time ever Finnish Cup - Dec. 10, 2005
LrNMKY, Lappeenranta is hot right now. Last season Finnish Champs were first time in the final of Finnish Cup and LrNMKY crashed Kataja, Joensuu, # 1 Team in the Korisliiga right now, by 29 points margin: 87-58! During the half time LrNMKY had a six-point-lead: 39-33. The biggest difference today in Helsinki was the Defense. LrNMKY had four, almost six players in double figures. Kataja had only two players scoring over 10 points. The shooting percentage was also one key factor for LrNMKY advantage: The winners shot 2-pt 46,7% and 3-pt 40,0%. Kataja�s figures were 30,0% and 19,0%.
LrNMKY - Kataja 87-58 (Riihela 16, Matt Williams (201-F-77, college: Montana) 16, Kumpulainen 14, Colman 13 - Alex Wesby (198-G-80, agency: R.H.Consultancy, college: Temple) 19, Lehtoranta 17, Lehtonen 8, Jones 6).