Prague as Brno. USK basketball players are going for a record, the 256th league win in a row
Natália Hejková among USK Prague basketball players
| photo: BK Žabiny Brno
“I can be the icing on the cake. We haven’t thought about that number yet, but if we could do it, it would be nice,” coach Natália Hejková told ČTK, who traveled to Ostrava directly from Hungary, where Atomerömü Szekszárd was outclassed 95:56 in the middle Euroleague match. “We are glad that we saved one trip, and we are grateful to Ostrava for accommodating us (with change of date)“, added Hejková.
The women from Prague have not lost in the top competition since April 30, 2013, when they failed in the last series against Brno (then IMOS Brno) 72:73. Since then, they have ruled without wavering for approximately ten years.
Gambrinus Brno’s previous streak of 256 matches without defeat lasted from February 1998 to February 2007 and was punctuated by two losses against USK Prague. With this record, the women from Brňanka narrowly surpassed the performance of the basketball players from Ružomberok, who won 253 games in a row from March 1995 to April 2003. The Slovak team was also led by the current coach of USK Hejková.
“Is it true. In addition to the fact that it is already a team record, it would also be my personal record,” said the five-time winner of the Euroleague.
In the first game of this season, USK clearly defeated Ostrava 79:37 and is the favorite this time as well. While the undefeated women from Prague broke the 100-point mark seven times out of ten league matches, Ostrava is in fourth place with a record of six wins and four defeats.
If the Prague women win on Friday, they will be able to definitively break the Brno record on January 14, when they host Slovanka at home. “We will deal with it when it happens. Only then will we probably realize what we have accomplished. It is important to think about what awaits us now,” added Hejková.
In the men’s home competition, 18-time champion Nymburk holds the record winning streak. But his longest unbeaten streak is “only” 93 duels.