Just when the Wurzburg arena went bonkers after they had won their second game in exciting fashion beating derby opponent Giessen 46ers 104-101 in OT with a Maurice Stuckey game winning three letting ex German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to ponder why it took him so long to witness his first ever Beko BBL game and most fans probably boasting that they had witnessed the most dramatic game of the Beko BBL second game day, the German walking wounded of the Fraport Skyliners with national players Danilo Barthel, Johannes Voigtmann and Konstantin Klein had a little mix of shock and anger as they had witnessed the end of the Frankfurt-Oldenburg game where they were robbed of overtime on a Johannes Richter bucket that wasn´t given. Depending just how good the cooking aptitude of cooking chef Danilo Barthel was, the players seemed to have enjoyed his feast that he has prepared, but even when not one could of at least excused ones self to the rest room to relieve one´s self, but in the aftermath of the horrible call, there would have been no need to scamper away to the lavatory as the scene left in the Oldenburg arena would have been enough to vomit one´s grief all over the living room. After a magnificent victory in Bremerhaven where they held a very offensive talented team to only 59 points, the club traveled to Oldenburg with a walking wounded list as long as the grocery list of Shaq, but once again Fraport Skyliner´s mastermind behind the bench Gordon Herbert devised another plan of getting the most out of the talent he had and stayed close to Oldenburg all night long. The way the Fraport Skyliners lost left a very sour taste in their scent in their stomach, but the club had four days to try to digest this misfortune as best they could and next had to battle against aspiring s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg who blew away the Pro A last season despite losing to Giessen for the Pro A title and came into the Fraport arena with a 1-1 record. It a very tight game throughout, but in crunch time when the Fraport Skyliners could have used a Justin Cobbs who displayed countless times last season his calmness, cool demeanor, rookie leadership and cold execution in getting Frankfurt over the hump, tonight it was Lebron James friend Dru Joyce who stole the show from Jordan Theodore hitting big shots and keeping the club together in the end winning a real nail bitter 77-75 the way Cobbs did last season “Frankfurt had more energy in the first half, but luckily we were able to stay close to them. However we gave a better effort in the second half, played with more intensity and picked it up on defense”, warned ex TBB Trier guard Dru Joyce. The Fraport Skyliners lost their second game in a row on the last possession and their frustration showed after the loss with faces as long as the trek a person would have to take across the Bering strait. “This loss was unnecessary. We have had lost two games in a row at the end and it really hurts. We have very high goals and to lose two games like this is very difficult”, added Fraport Skyliner center JohanneRichter. Fraport Skyliner Jordan Theodore didn´t shy away from expressing his grief, but at the same time was man enough to take a blame for the team´s shortcoming. “We have injuries and also lost two close games, but we can´t make excuses. I have to play better at the end. I am a player that can score, but I didn´t get it done tonight. I will get better. It all comes down to execution. It is still early in the season. We still have many games. We will be fine and believe me I will be in the gym tomorrow morning”, warned New York native Jordan Theodore. “We gave up too many three pointers in the first half and had bad rotations. We defended better in the second half and attacked more in the second half after being too passive in the first half”, added ex UCLA center Brendan Lane.

4,860 fans wanted to see the first game and also had guys from all over taking the time to make the trip to Frankfurt with ex Fraport Skyliner Dominik Bahiense De Mello arriving from Goeetingen, ex TV Langen center Martinis Woody coming from Karlsruhe, ex Lich guard Jermale Jones coming from Luxemburg and American Ian Sheldon making the short trip from Langen. Excitement was on the menu as the first seven minutes brought six lead changes as the teams were battling and it was going back and forth. The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg had the early 7-4 advantage as they got important production from German Maurice Stuckey who nailed a pull up jumper and ex Pepperdine center Brendan Lane who made a lay in after getting the perfect lob pass from Seth Tuttle. The Fraport Skyliners regained the lead 10-7 as Cincinnati native Quantez Robertson who is 30 and still as athletic as usual scored twice inside with a lay in and two handed dunk. The game was very fast paced as it seemed as no team had the wit to slow the game down. Wurzburg came back and got the lead back 11-10 as Stuckey made a big dunk form the base line retrieving a pass from Joyce and ex ratiopharm Ulm guard Cameron Long scored inside as Lane displayed his passing skills. However Frankfurt then had a stroke of lightening as they nailed three big three pointers going on a 9-2 run to lead 19-13with two by Canadian Aaron Doornekamp and one by Tomas Dimsa. All three buckets were set up by German Max Merz who came off the bench and sparked the Frankfurt offense. However Wurzburg stopped this run with a quick 5-0 run led by experienced American William Coleman who hails from Georgia and played last season for Panionios ON Telecoms Athens. He brought some instant offense hitting a jumper and getting set up by Joyce inside to cut the Frankfurt lead to 19-18. After being almost invisible in the first half, Theodore did a good deed nailing a trey closing out the first quarter as Frankfurt led 22-18. “It was a very fast paced game as everyone was trying to get rid of the season opening jitters. Doornekamp sparked Frankfurt with big shots and Morrison was aggressive inside. Merz also was big coming off the bench to lead the team”, stressed South Carolina native Martinis Woody. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 44% from the field and 50% from outside while the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were shooting 39% from the field and 0% from outside. Both teams had 10 rebounds and two turnovers a piece.

The Fraport Skyliners kept the lead in the second quarter, but could never break away as the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were able to stay in the game. Both teams were executing their offense well, but Frankfurt just continued to hold the lead. Mike Morrsion hit free throws and Robertson nailed a three pointer, but Frankfurt led only 27-22 as Lane hit a jumper over Richter and Long a floater. A big strength of Frankfurt in the first half was their precision three point shooting as ex BG Goettingen guard John Little and Doornekamp connected back to back as Frankfurt extended their lead to 35-26. Frankfurt was doing a splendid job working for good shots while Wurzburg was forcing things a bit on the offensive end, but show how did take advantage of some Frankfurt misses with baskets staying in the game. Wurzburg also got hot from outside as the double L´s Lane and Long connected to cut the Frankfurt lead to 37-32. One guy who has really raised some eye brows in the first three games as been 25 year old 206cm Ricklin, California native Brendan Lane who was a rookie with Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins (Japan-NBL) last season and is averaging 18,0ppg and 7,0rpg in the Beko BBL. “I credit my play to playing with good players that get me the ball. The style of the BBL fits me and I just try to be aggressive and always attacking”, stressed Brendan Lane. “I didn´t know him before the game. He has a good game and plays inside out, but still needs to work on his physical game”, added Johannes Richter. Frankfurt closed out the second quarter with a 6-2 run to lead 43-34. Robertson attacked the rim and got there as if he was still a rookie, made a tip in and Theodore set up Richter with a blistering two handed stuff while the guests got a bucket from Joyce. “When you are down teams tend to panic. That can be good or bad. Wurzburg did a good job staying with Frankfurt. Frankfurt did a good job adding more pressure on Wurzburg and limited their fast break game”, added ex TV Langen center Martinis Woody. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 48% from the field and 50% from the three point line while the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were shooting 45% from the field and 18% from the three point line. Frankfurt had the 16-15 rebound edge and had five turnovers while Wurzburg had six turnovers.

The s.Oliver Baskets got back into the game in the third quarter as the Fraport Skyliners let up a bit. The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg got out on a quick 5-2 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 45-41. Stuckey nailed free throws while Joyce showed his much improved three point shooting over the last four years nailing one. Morrison scored over Tuttle and then got to the rim blowing by any Wurzburg defender along the way as if he was a big man in a guards body as Frankfurt led 47-41. With Voigtmann out and Richter a young German still learning, he had to take on responsibility and did being aggressive inside, wanting the ball and getting it and drawing fouls. He was perfect in the first half at 4/4, but in the third quarter was 0/3 from the free throw line. Wurzburg kept creeping on the door step of Frankfurt as Joyce continued to show his scoring ability as he scored from way downtown from the suburbs of Akron and 23 year old 203cm forward Seth Tuttle who played at N Iowa(NCAA) and last summer for the Miami Heat at the NBA Summer League made a tip in. Frankfurt continued to hold the lead and keep Wurzburg at bay as Theodore made a dipsy doodle move somehow acrobatically steering the ball home and Little made a pull up jumper of the pick extending the Frankfurt 55-50 lead. Wurzburg was getting stronger and pressing in the third quarter and now went on a 7-2 run to tie the game at 57-57. In the run, Wurzburg got scoring production from three different players as Joyce fed Coleman for an ally-oop dunk, Lance Ulmer who is a 29 year old 198cm forward who played at Rhode Island(NCAA) and two seasons in Finland made a tip in and Tuttle nailed a three pointer. Robertson then hit free throws and Ulmer hit a runner. Tomas Dimsa gave Frankfurt the 61-59 advantage after 30 minutes. “We didn´t play well as a team and didn´t finish plays on defense the way we should giving up easy baskets”, said Johannes Richter. “We were reacting after being too passive in the second quarter. We got more in the passing lanes, got deflections and rebounded better. All in all we gave a better effort”, said ex EWE Baskets Oldenburg guard Dru Joyce. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 48% from the field and 41% from the parking lot while the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were shooting 49% from the field and 31% from the parking lot. Both teams had 24 rebounds a piece. Frankfurt had seven turnovers and Wurzburg eight.

In the fourth quarter the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg got on the back of the Fraport Skyliners took the lead and despite never leading by more than six held the lead until the end even if Frankfurt made it very exciting getting it to a game winning shot attempt, but throwing up an air ball for the loss. Wurzburg jumped on a 6-0 run to take the 65-61 lead and never looked back. Ulmer hit free throws, Lane was set up again by Joyce getting a lay in and the lead back for the first time since the first quarter and Long did everything you could on his way to the basket besides running over Morrison, tripping, lunging and falling and somehow throwing the ball into the basket. Theodore then saw some daylight scoring in traffic and hitting free throws to cut the Wurzburg lead to 67-65. Wurzburg then went on a 7-3 run to extend their lead to 74-68 and it seemed like the game might be decided. In this run, Joyce showed a touch of what Justin Cobbs was capable of doing last season taking matters into his own hands as he hit a jumper getting a Frankfurt bounce, nailing a three pointer getting Morrison to sky and then moving two steps to his left and dropping a trey and then finishing a floater as he danced around Theodore as Akron led 1-0 against New York city in this battle. “I always want to be aggressive on offense wheather I am shooting or passing. My mind set is too always be attacking the defense”, added Dru Joyce. “Joyce came up big in the fourth. After being silent in the scoring department, he made big shots”, added Jermale Jones. “Joyce kept us together at the end. He made big shots and as a veteran knows what it takes to win”, warned Brendan Lane. However Frankfurt wasn´t out yet as they went on a mini 4-0 run to cut the Wurzburg lead to 74-72 as Doornekamp made free throws and Theodore made a lay in. “Theodore was a bit like Cobbs at the end stepping it up when he had to”, said Jermale Jones. “Joyce then made two free throws   as Wurzburg led 76-72. Frankfurt then lost the game where they could of made strides as Theodore missed two free throws and Robertson made a turnover. However Frankfurt made it exciting one more time as Doornekamp rattled home a three pointer with 8,3 seconds remaining. Long made one of two free throws. Frankfurt had 6,3 second left and John Little threw up an air ball after having an open look to end the game. “We were lucky at the end, but luck is part of the game. I sensed the shot was off from the bench”, added Brendan Lane. “The last play was designed for Theodore to attack the rim. The big guy was in the way and he saw Little wide open. Little will make that shot 9/10 times, but it fell a little short”, added Quantez Robertson. “We were lucky. Theodore made a good pass and Little had a good look. Our defensive execution wasn´t good”, added Dru Joyce. “. I have confidence in all my players and Little was wide open. A loss never comes down to one player. I missed two free throws at the end. We didn´t play team defense at the end”, added Jordan Theodore.

The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were led by Dru Joyce with 17 points and nine assists. Brenadan Lane added 15 points. Cameron Long chipped in with 12 points and William Coleman had 11 points and seven rebounds. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Aaron Doornekamp with 18 points. Quantez Robertson added 14 points and Jordan Theodore had 13 points. Mike Morrison contributed 12 points and eight rebounds and John Little had 11 points. The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg shot 49% from the field and 30% from outside while the Fraport Skyliners shot 46% from the field and 36% from outside. Both teams had 31 rebounds a piece and Frankfurt had 11 turnovers and Wurzburg 10 turnovers.