Dziki Warszawa claim historic first bronze as Arka Gdynia falls short, Adam Hrycaniuk ends career

Historic bronze for the capital's newcomer

Dziki Warszawa overturned a five-point first-leg deficit to beat AMW Arka Gdynia 92-78 at Hala Koło and grab the bronze medal of the Orlen Basket Liga. The club, founded only in 2017 from a third-division outfit, had already exceeded expectations by reaching the playoffs and now adds a first senior trophy to its name.

After losing the opening encounter in Gdynia 84-89, the Warsaw side needed a strong start. Rivaldo Soares set the tone early, and a 35-15 third quarter broke the game open. Soares finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds, while Darnell Edge added 19. For Arka, Einaras Tubutis recorded 19 points and 15 rebounds.

“I'm tired but happy. A wonderful day.”

Injuries derail Arka's medal push

Arka came into the bronze series after eliminating Śląsk Wrocław in the quarterfinals, but was hit by backcourt injuries. Guard Milan Barbitch left the first leg after just two minutes with an apparent leg issue, and before the return match, American playmaker Mike Okauru was also ruled out. Without two primary ball-handlers, the Gdynia team could not recreate the offensive flow that had carried them past Śląsk.

The five-point cushion from the first game evaporated fast when the Dzikis poured in 35 points in the third period, turning a one-point halftime deficit into an 81-60 advantage. Arka reduced the gap in the fourth but never came closer than 13 points.

Rivaldo Soares (Dziki)22

Darnell Edge (Dziki)19

Einaras Tubutis (Arka)19

Bennett Vander Plas (Dziki)14

Luke Barrett (Arka)16

Ody Oguama (Dziki)13

Landrius Horton (Dziki)12

Jarosław Zyskowski (Arka)11

Kamil Łączyński (Arka)10

Jakub Garbacz (Arka)10

Kresimir Ljubicić (Arka)10

Rivaldo Soares (Dziki)

22

Darnell Edge (Dziki)

19

Einaras Tubutis (Arka)

19

Bennett Vander Plas (Dziki)

14

Luke Barrett (Arka)

16

Ody Oguama (Dziki)

13

Landrius Horton (Dziki)

12

Jarosław Zyskowski (Arka)

11

Kamil Łączyński (Arka)

10

Jakub Garbacz (Arka)

10

Kresimir Ljubicić (Arka)

10

Data from the article text

A 19-season journey ends

For Adam Hrycaniuk, the loss was the final chapter of a career spanning 19 seasons and 644 top-flight appearances, the fifth-highest total in league history. The 42-year-old center won seven national championships (three with Stelmet Zielona Góra, three with Arka, one with Trefl Sopot) and earned 137 caps for Poland, playing at three European Championships and the 2019 World Cup.

“We fought until the end despite missing two key players. I feel a bit of sadness and a bit of joy that this long road is ending. I'm happy my career lasted so long, because when I started, nobody expected that. Now I'm starting a new stage.”

A breakthrough season beyond the bronze

Dziki's triumph capped a campaign that saw them knock out last year's bronze medalist Energa Trefl Sopot in the quarterfinals (3-1) before falling to city rivals Legia Warszawa in the semifinals (0-3). Under 32-year-old Italian coach Marco Legovich, the club also won the North European Basketball League, beating Manchester BC 109-97 in Weissenfels, Germany, to become the third Polish team to lift that trophy.