In the first final of the Hungarian league between Veszprem and Pick Szeged, it looked as if Michael Apelgren and his team were about to claim an impressive win. But in the second half, Veszprem turned the game around and won the home match 34–32.
This was the first league final between the two fierce rivals, and it was Michael Apelgren’s Pick Szeged that started the stronger. They led by two goals at halftime after a solid first half, putting them in a good position going into the second.
Trailing 7–12, Veszprem coach Xavi Pascual called a timeout – and it was easy to see why, as Szeged clearly looked like the better team at that point. But Veszprem managed to close the gap, largely thanks to strong play from the French trio: Nedim Remili, Ludovic Fabregas, and Hugo Descat.
Something seemed to shift for Veszprem during the break – because in the second half they came out firing, and within just a minute and a half they had equalized. When Veszprem took the lead at 21–20, it was the first time they had been ahead since the third minute.
Hugo Descat sealed the win by setting the final score at 34–32, giving Veszprem a strong start to the finals series. That puts Veszprem up 1–0 in the series, which continues at Pick Arena on June 4.