It’s time for Drago Derby #2 and Oggy certainly hopes that the home cooking in Greeley can make the game closer than the
very first Drago Derby. Both teams come in at 2-3, but the paths there have been very different.
Dinko and the Red Flash rode their veteran experience to wins over Lehigh and Pitt, but then had to face Syracuse and Kansas, losing to both and then falling to Radford.
The Bears of Northern Colorado did not face nearly as tough competition and after their win against Cal-State Fullerton, they lost to Utah State and Long Beach State, with a victory over Fresno State in between. Brandon North has been on fire for the Bears, averaging 21.6 points per game after scoring 31 and 26 the last two games.
With the Dragomir and Zhivka nearing 70 years old and Stephanie (Dinko’s wife) wheelchair bound, the Dragomirov clan did not make the trip to Greeley this year, but they happily attended the viewing party put on by friends and family from around Pittsburgh. Though Stephanie was always nervous before games, the combination of viewing the game on TV, being around friends & family and knowing that Dinko probably had the better team was a comfort to her. As the game got ready to tip off, mama Zhivka shushed everyone around her and the party turned their attention to the game.
Early on, it was all UNC and Oggy was all smiles. Unable to contain his smile, Oggy could be seen grinning as Brandon North nailed his first two shots of the game and helped the Bears out to a 17-10 lead thanks to 3 threes from North. Fed up with his team’s complete lack of defense, Dinko called a timeout and implored his team to calm down and focus. He knew they were more talented than the Bears, and if they didn’t get psyched out they could come back and control this game.
The timeout seemed to work, as Northern Colorado had no more easy buckets and the Red Flash went on a 12-2 run, causing Oggy to be the one to take a timeout this time. As his players come into the huddle, he glanced down at his brother, who gave him no acknowledgement but instead was focused on encouraging his team.
From that point, the first half was a close one, and the game was tied at 32-32 before the Red Flash managed to enter the break with a 41-37 lead. Both teams were on fire from the field, shooting super hot (75% and 60%) and Brandon North already had 14 points.
After a slow start to the 2
nd half as both teams came out cautious, the Red Flash of St. Francis turned on the afterburners. Casey Tyler had an and-1 jumper to put them up 55-44 and it didn’t get any closer before Oggy was forced to call another timeout at 62-46. The Red Flash started the half on a 21-9 run and wouldn’t look back.
Oggy tried to get his team to play methodically and get the ball into the post. The strategy did help Taron “Big T” Guy get his buckets, but didn’t make the game any closer as they couldn’t stop the Red Flash. The game ended at 81-65 and “little brother” Dinko was now 2-0 in the Drago Derby and it would be a great flight back to Loretto, Pennsylvania.
The Bears had a rough 2
nd half shooting, dropping from 65% to 49% and solid games from North, Swanson, and Guy were not enough. The Red Flash had 5 players in double-digit points and Zygis Keita led the game with 9 rebounds, 5 of which came on the offensive end.