Raiders Tirol put Štýria to the sword 122:59 in the Austrian 2. Liga on Sunday evening. The away side rolled over the hosts with nothing to lose and everything to prove, while Štýria paid for a sloppy opening and never really got back into it. The final margin told the full story of a one-sided affair.
Raiders Tirol looked comfortable from the outset, stringing together baskets and keeping Štýria chasing shadows. The hosts had a habit of conceding too many cheap fouls, which let the visitors dictate the tempo. By then it was clear this was going to be a long night for Štýria.
We had called this one beforehand — away win, 64 per cent confidence — and the match played out exactly as we expected. Raiders Tirol simply outclassed Štýria on both ends of the floor, and the result reflected that gap in quality.
The victory keeps Raiders Tirol in third place after 22 games, while Štýria remain seventh with just six wins from the same run. The gap between them in the table is now wider than ever, and the hosts have nothing to show for their efforts this season.
Štýria's recent form offered little comfort — losses to Sloboda and Dornbirn Lions, a rare win against Jennerndorf, and another defeat to Sloboda. Raiders Tirol, meanwhile, have been inconsistent but showed they can still dominate when they click.