The Sundsvall Dragons defeated the Norrköping Dolphins in a decisive Game 7 clash May 6 to claim the 2011 Swedish Basketball crown.
Sundsvall rallied from a game down in the best-of-7 series to take Games 6 and 7 to claim its second title in three years. After taking Game 6 by one point in overtime, 94-93, the Dragons overwhelmed Norrkoping 102-83 in the deciding clash.
Jacob Sigurdsson led Sundsvall to the win, pouring in a game-high 31 points. The Birmingham Southern University product was 7 for 11 in three-point attempts. Liam Rush had 18 points for Sundsvall while Temple University graduate Alex Wisby tossed in 14.
Sundsvall built a 32-14 lead in the first quarter and led by 22 points at the half.
Kean State product Fred Drains led Norrköping with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Anton Saks added 15 in the losing effort.
Sundsvall, which finished the regular season with a league-best 29-7 record, forced the deciding game with an overtime win May 4 in Norrköping.
Wisby, voted the league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, led Sundsvall with 29 points, including 15 during a crucial second-half run. The Temple standout also pulled in seven boards.
The Dolphins held a two-point lead at the half, but a 26-20 run in the second half erased the lead. Tied at 86, the two teams went into overtime, where Sigurdsson hit six of his 28 points to lead Sundsvall to the win.
Guard Andrew Mitchell, a Kent State University product, had 19 points and five boards to lead the Dolphins. Norrköping used its entire bench and four players in double figures in scoring.
The Dolphins, the 2010 league champions, went into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed. Norrköping took out Solna 3-1 in the best-of-5-games quarterfinals. The Dolphins met LF Basket in the best-of-5 semis and needed all five to reach the finals.
Sundsvall, the No. 1 seed, knocked off Jämtland in five games before sweeping the Södertälje Kings.
Norrköping won Game 1 of the finals, outscoring Sundsvall 23-20 in the fourth quarter to claim a 79-78 win. Mitchell led to Dolphins with 17 points while Northern Arizona State product Joakim Kjellborn had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Wisby led Sundsvall with 20 points.
The Dragons took Game 2 94-93 behind Wisby, who had 24 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. Mitchell led Norrköping with 17 points.
Sundsvall grabbed a 2-1 series lead with a 80-70 win in Game 3. Sundsvall used a 23-9 run in the second half to take control of the game.
Norrköping quickly rebounded, winning Games 4 and 5 to take a 3-2 series lead.