Hogsbo Basket — Nassjo: 85:81, Basketligan

Hogsbo Basket defeated Nässjö 85-81 in the Swedish Basketball League on Thursday evening. The hosts held on despite a late surge from the visitors to claim a narrow victory at home. By then the crowd had grown restless, sensing the momentum could shift either way.

And here's the thing — it was Hogsbo's three-point shooting that made the difference. They hit 12 of their 30 attempts from range, while Nässjö managed just 7 from 22. The visitors relied more on inside scoring, converting 29 of 67 field goals compared to Hogsbo's 26 from 55. To be fair, Nässjö generated more touches with 15 assists against 11.

The statistics tell an uneven story. Hogsbo dominated the boards with 29 rebounds to Nässjö's 35, but their 21 successful free throws proved crucial. The hosts committed 13 turnovers against 12, a marginal gap in a tight contest. Nässjö recorded more steals with 9 to 6, but couldn't convert pressure into points.

The result keeps both sides in their respective positions. Hogsbo remain ninth with seven wins from 30 games, while Nässjö sit seventh with fourteen victories. That seventh-place standing carries weight — they're still within reach of the top four.

Hogsbo's recent form had been mixed, losing four of their last five before this win. They had dropped 88-92 to Uppsala on October second and followed with a 96-90 victory over Borås Basket. Nässjö, meanwhile, had lost to Norrköping 79-89 last time out.

Our prediction had backed the visitors at 52 per cent confidence. We were wrong. What shifted things was Hogsbo's perimeter accuracy when it mattered most — they carved out enough space from distance to stay ahead.