By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
NINERS Chemnitz stunned Besiktas GAIN Istanbul at home last Tuesday in first – and, at that point, only – game from Round 12 of the BKT EuroCup, winning by a score of 97-95.
Besiktas is having a great season, with a 13-0 record in the Turkish League and an 8-4 mark in the EuroCup. One of the four teams that has defeated them in Europe is now Chemnitz after a game packed with drama in Germany.
The hero of the German team’s victory was Malian center Amadou Sow, who finished the game against Dusan Alimpijevic’s team with 27 points (8/13 for two, 2/4 for three, 5/5 free throws) and 4 rebounds.
It was his points that decided the duel with 32 seconds left in the game. Sow grabbed an offensive rebound for the fourth time in the game, scored two points, and gave his team a 97-95 lead. Vitto Brown had a shot to tie the game, and then Jonah Mathews had a chance for the win, but Chemnitz survived and eventually secured its sixth victory in the competition, alongside six losses.
From Santa Barbara to Germany
Sow spent four years as a student at the UC Santa Barbara, where he played from 2018 to 2022.
The 2.06-meter player was a starter for all four years on the team, starting 115 out of 117 total games in the starting five, and recorded very respectable numbers, finishing his college career with averages of 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds.
However, in 2022 he was not selected in the NBA Draft, so he began his journey in Europe. His first club was ADA Blois in France, then he played for Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in the ABA League, followed by a return to France with Strasbourg. He joined Chemnitz this past summer.
Good shooter, very athletic, and excellent around the rim
After a not-so-great start to the season, Sow quickly became a key player for Chemnitz, and in the last five EuroCup games he has scored in double figures. During that period, he also recorded a double-double and three games with a PIR of 20 or more.
Sow can also cover the power forward position, excels in roll situations, is very athletic, and mostly finishes around the rim with dunks. He is also capable of scoring in other ways, too.
Interestingly, he is a fairly solid three-point shooter, making two triples against Besiktas, and is shooting around 38% for the season, which is quite decent for a player in his position.
Additionally, in the EuroCup, he has an 84% free-throw percentage, numbers some guards can’t even boast.
As for defense, he is capable of switching and defending multiple positions, but he can struggle against some heavier centers, primarily due to his build.
Moreover, he is recording even better numbers this season in Germany, averaging 14.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
While it was a surprise to see Chemnitz down Besiktas, the biggest credit goes to Amadou Sow. He’ll be eager to build on this performance and take Chemnitz as far as he can this season.