It is always a road trip to remember when visiting the Artland Dragons for any Beko BBL team. If it is simply observing content cows on the pastures with no houses in sight, seeing a Lamount Mcintosh in the past bicycling to the arena, Darius Hall joking around at the local bakery, enjoying a posh deluxe hotel near Quackenbruck that serves as the player hotel, Sergio Kerush and Bryce Taylor playing pick up basketball on a farm with the the loccal kids or just trying to figure out what Toby the dragon mascot is thinking behind his mask and if he really has a dungeon in the basement. It is also never simple to escape the Artland arena with a win as the location gets loud fast and as soon as the Dragons are on a run, it seems like the court is the opponents cage. However in the past, the Fraport Skyliners have won the last two games and who could forget the Beko BBL debut of ex NBA player Roger Powell and his crashing dunk two years ago or the 66-60 win last season in the second half of the season where they were mowing down the top Beko BBL teams likeTiger Woods once did the golf competition. Winning seems to come easier now in the Artland arena as the Fraport Skyliners won their third game in a row 89-80, but despite never trailing in the game, the Artland Dragons never gave up and one can never underestimate the strength of the Dragon fans either. “There is always a good atmosphere and the crowd come to support their team night in and night out. We won here again because of great defense and being able to execute on offense and defense”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Quantez Robertson. “I believe that we won last year here with Bremerhaven. The arena is little and compact. The crowd is like an annoying sixth man. We quieted them down with our intensity and they weren´t a factor tonight”, stressed ex Lti Giesen 46er Zach Peacock.

Both teams came into the game needing to prove something as they had less than satisfactory performances in Ludwigsburg and Berlin. The Fraport Skyliners led from the go and never trailed in the game. They started with aggressive defense with superb pressure which sparked their offense right away as they hit shots early finding a rhythm and staying fairly consistent despite the Artland Dragons fighting back, but never getting over the hump. The win against one of the top teams should give the Fraport Skyliners an immense confidence boost. “We beat a top 4 team and for the third time in a row here. We played very well for 40 minutes and our defense was very good”, stressed Fraport Skyliner sport director Kamil Novak. After the 40 minute battle, the Artland Dragons look more than exhausted and as if they had just lost the deciding game of the season, but in reality the season is still very long, but the team is at 0-2. “We came out very slow and were unable to make any shots early. This got us in a hole where we had problems getting out of. We came back in the third quarter, but then let them take a lead again. It is very difficult coming back when you are down by 10 points”, added ex New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig forward Andrew Drevo. In Ludwigsburg, the Fraport Skyliners never found their rhythm and lacked the needed intensity on defense, but in Artland they had recovered it. “The key tonight was our high intensity. We let up a bit in the third quarter, but never caved in finishing the game with a high intensity”, expressed Zach Peacock. One really had to wonder what had happened in the last 72 hours to bring this giant turnaround by the Fraport Skyliners. “After the loss in Ludwigsburg, we came to practice and watched film. We had no energy on defense in the first game, but we showed energy in Artland”, added Quantez Robertson.

Demond Mallet was still out with an injury and should return in about a month. Despite not being able to play and give his great basketball services, Mallet was in a good mood exchanging stories about his cousin Shaq, the good old days with Rhein Energy Cologne and in between his teammate Petar Popovic with whom he won the ULEB Cup in 2008 with Joventut Badalona came and screamed in his face more of a getting ready for the basketball game. Mallet gave his support on the bench and if someone had predicted that the Fraport Skyliners would jump out of the gate leading 16-2, one would have been seen as being crazy and no where in touch with reality, but the club showed that they came to play. The Fraport Skyliners quickly were on the same page with their defense as Peacock blocked Bryce Taylor and then the offense got to work. Peacock hit his first two shots, Dion Dowell spread the defense with a three pointer and Johnathon Jones scored on the penetration and before toby the dragon had even realized what had happened, Frankfurt led 9-0. Despite much on ball pressure by the Artland Dragons, the Fraport Skyliners did a great job being calm and patient and getting the good shot. Dion Dowell continued to want the ball and he was in the zone as he hit two further three pointers. Despite a coast to coast run by Sergio Kerush, the Fraport Skyliners continued to fire away as Quantez Robertson and Larry Wright connected from the parking lot and Frankfurt led 22-5. Andrew Drevo nailed a three pointer, but Robertson closed out a very potent first quarter with a lay in at the buzzer. The Fraport Skyliners led 26-12. “Our defense set the tone in the first quarter. We didn´t allow them to get any easy buckets. WE got easy baskets and Dowell hit some three pointers”, stressed Quantez Robertson. “ “The Artland Dragons pressured well, but we were able to stand up against it. We were patient and and hit our shots”, added basketball expert Steven Clauss. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 56% from the field and 45% from outside while the Artland Dragons were shooting 17% from the field and 50% from outside. Artland had the 10-9 rebound edge, but six turnovers to the one from Frankfurt.

In the second quarter, the Fraport Skyliners were able to keep the comfortable lead early going scoring in many different ways on offense like Larry Wright dropping a bomb from outside after being set up nicely by Jones and Robertson feeding a no look pass to German Danilo Barthel for the dunk and 33-18 advantage. The Artland Dragons slowly got back into the game as they started to bang the ball more inside and work on the Skyliner foul trouble. Artland also was able to use the mis matches at time as Popovic scored inside twice and Frankfurt led only 36-26. German Johannes Strasser continued the Artland 8-0 run with a nifty lay in with his left hand past the outstretched hand of Dion Dowell and suddenly Frankfurt led only 36-30. However the Fraport Sklyiners closed out the second quarter with a 4-2 run as Skyliner captain Marius Nolte made two free throws and Larry Wright hit a big shot over 206cm forward Anthony King. Strasser closed out the scoring with a fade away jumper. The Fraport Skyliners led 40-32 at halftime. “Frankfurt had a good start, but Artland had an answer in the second quarter coming back. Frankfurt had some unnecessary fouls, but they deserved the lead”, stressed Brose Baskets Bamberg assistant coach Arne Woltman. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 45% from the field and 47% from the three point line while the Artland Dragons were shooting 40% from the field and 25% from the three point line. The Artland Dragons still led the rebound battle 20-14, but had nine turnovers while Frankfurt only had two turnovers.

The third quarter promised to be a quarter of run as the Fraport Skyliners exploded out on a 11-0 run to take an overwhelming lead only to be slapped right back in the face with an Artland Dragons 16-5 run. In the Fraport Skyliners 11-0 run, the team showcased hot shooting again. Peacock started the attack as he displayed swift moves and quick footwork against King scoring with his left hand. Then Wright nailed two three pointers and Robertson one three pointer as the Fraport Skyliners led 51-32. King and Peacocok then  exchanged buckets in the Artland Dragons 16-5 run before they got the hot hand as Kristaps Valters hit from downtown and Marquez Haynes drilled two from the parking lot. The Artland Dragons would continue to wreak havoic in the offense continuing to gnaw away at the dwindling Skyliner lead. After a Kerush jumper from the wing, it was Peacock who hit the nicest shot of the game being forced out to the wing and nailing a fade away as he slid over the floor as Frankfurt led 58-50. Taylor then hit a three pointer and Jones stayed with his shot being blocked and then making the bucket on the second attempt as Frankfurt led 60-53. Taylor and Jones continued to exchange baskets as the Dragon scored over Barthel and the Skyliner made a floater giving Frankfurt the 62-55 lead. The Artland Dragons ended the third quarter in style going on a 5-0 run as Herush scored inside and Drevo made a shot at the buzzer as the Artland Dragons trailed only 62-60. “The Artland Dragons really stepped it up scoring 26 points. The yhit many three pointers and the game seemed to change in the heads of the players. The Dragons pressed well and the fans got back in the game”, added basketball expert Steven Clauss. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 52% from the field and 56% from the parking lot while the Artland Dragons were shooting 54% from the field and 60% from the parking lot. The Dragons continued to have the rebound edge 23-17, but 13 turnovers while Frankfurt had only seven turnovers.

The Fraport Skyliners didn´t let the Artland Dragons come back effect their start in the fourth quarter as they stayed focused and withstood the atmosphere jumping out on a 12-4 run to take command again leading 74-64. It was the defense again in the first few minutes that sparked the Skyliner offense. After a turnover, the Fraport Skyliners quickly went into transition and Jones made a quick outlet pass to Peacock who ran the floor like  a guard making an easy lay up. Jones than humiliated Strasser at the center line stealing the ball out of his hands and making a dunk. Nolte made two free throws and then it was Mr clutch big shot Larry Wright again who connected on a three pointer from the wing. The Artland Dragons continued to fight back hitting tough shots as Haynes drilled a three pointer over Wright and Taylor made a lay up on the second chance. The Fraport Skyliners led only 76-69. However Frankfurt continued to score as Dowell made a huge turn around jumper over Gruinheid at the buzzer and Nolte and Jones made  free throws as Frankfurt led 81-69. The Artland Dragons made one last gasp as Haynes scored twice on a tip in and fade away jumper to trail only 81-73, but time was running out. Peacock, Robertson and Wright made six free throws to decide the game and the first regular season win of the Fraport Skyliners. “We got them in foul trouble got in the double bonus early and made our free throws”, stressed Quantez Robertson. “Our offense had no rhythm at the start. We got good shots, but they didn´t fall. We were a litte stagnant at times. They played good defense, but it was more what we didn´t do to what they were doing. We had break downs on defense. We weren´t close enough to their shooters and our rotating wasn´t on the same page”, added Artland Dragon forward Andrew Drevo.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Larry Wright with 21 points. Dion Dowell added 16 points as did Quantez Robertson with five rebounds and six assists. Zach Peacock and Johnathon Jones added 14 points  apiece. The Artland Dragons were led by Bryce Taylor with 21 points. Marquez Haynes contributed 18 points and Petar Popovic 10 points. The big winner of the game was American Johnathon Jones who did an excellent job at the point guard position controlling the game at the start and bringing the Skyliners that offensive rhythm which they were so desperately seeking in the Ludwigsburg game. “I learned a lot from the first game. I learn how the game is played and called. I still have to learn more how to get Peacock involved more, but I am going in the right  direction. My penetration open up the floor for me to find the shooters”, added Johnathon Jones. “Jones did a good job getting to the rim, setting us up and getting into the offensive sets”, said Quantez Robertson. Larry Wright had his break out game in the Beko BBL with 21 points after struggling in Ludwigsburg. “I felt good today. I have to thank my teammates for finding m eopen and giving me confidence. Coach Katzurin also has showed a lot of confidence in me”, warned Larry Wright. “Larry shot the ball well. I always keep telling him that when he is open that he should always shoot, because he shoots it very well”, stressed Quantez Robertson.  The Fraport Skyliners finished the game shooting 52% from the field and outside while the Artland Dragons shot 50% from the field and 44% from outside. Artland won the rebound duel 32-24, but they had 17 turnovers while Frankfurt had only eight giving the opponent nine extra possessions. The overall play of the Fraport Sklyiners was much improved from the Ludwigsburg game. “We improved our defense from the first game. We had more pressure and intensity in Artland. We may not be big, but we played fast and read their defense well. Basketball is about adjusting well and we did that. We played too much 1-1 in Ludwigsburg. We had very good ball movement in Artland. That is how we have to always play”, warned Johnathon Jones. The Fraport Skyliners have their home opener against the Mitteldeutscher BC on October 10^th and then they can show the home crowd if they can keep their level from the Artland game.