EABN Eagles in Hungary

After the previous experiences in Cergy have been processed, the Eagles seized the opportunity to travel again. This time their destination was close to Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Instead of traveling by car, the Eagles took flight and arrived at the airport of Budapest well rested and excited to see what Hungary can offer.

From the moment the team entered the country, many new impressions were made. After exiting the airport, the Eagles had to travel to the hotel they were staying in. Along the way, the infrastructure of the city was explored and the atmosphere was taken in by each player.

Although, the environment was unfamiliar to most players, the motivation to explore and enjoy the stay did not fade. Instead the eagles decided to explore the streets by foot and eat at the restaurant affiliated with the basketball tournament.

Finally, after recharging and filling their stomachs, the first game of the trip was approaching. Their first opponent was Chroma. After warming up properly, Drew gave a brief coaching in order to approach this strong opponent. As always, the eagles were younger than their opponents, which they would feel this day.

Since the very beginning of the match, the Eagles have been pressured by the opponent. It was painfully obvious, that Chroma was playing on home turf and certainly did not have to recuperate from a 7+ hour flight.

Chroma dominated the majority of the match, while the Eagles were slowly gaining momentum and catching up to them. Although the distance was closing, the Eagles did not manage to overcome their first obstacle of the trip and lost. Despite the loss, the Eagles came out on top and started to get used to the Hungarian style of play.

In order to get some variation, the next day the Eagles decided to explore the culture and architecture Hungary had to offer. Amongst others, the Eagles visited the Hungarian Parliament Building, the Buda Castle and the Fisherman’s Bastion, all icons of Hungary.

After successfully finishing their tourism trip, the Eagles rested up and prepared for the match in the evening. The second opponent they were facing was Újpest-Megyeri Tigrisek (MT). Similar to the first game, the Tigres were able to get ahead of the eagles since the very start.

Throughout the game, one of the key pieces of their lineup, Kane Henderson, was experiencing knee issues. Due to a collusion on the turf, he injured his knee which had to be bandaged in order for him to continue playing. This made it even harder to play on the level the Eagles are capable of. Despite their initial set back, the Eagles managed to work themselves up again and close the gap continuously.

Notwithstanding the higher effort, the game ended with the Tigres having a slim lead. Despite their two losses, the Eagles were able to once again learn more about different culture, basketball and themselves. Overall, the trip was a success, as the players' main goal is to get better and to learn more about the sport they love.