December 2020 was a month that 2010 Eurochallenge winner BG Goettingen wanted to erase as rapidly as possible from their memory bank as they had lost 6 games in a row and were sporting a poor 2-7 record coming into 2021. Their luck changed instantly as they stormed into the new year and won on the road in Giessen which isn´t the same without their boisterous fans, but a win is a win as they gutted out a 92-90 victory. BG Goettingen wanted to continue their winning ways in Frankfurt, but they met a club that also celebrated a win in 2021 on the road in Weissenfels and also were sprouting a lot of self-confidence for more wins. Both teams fought hard in the first half as the game was tight, but the Fraport Skyliners totally broke open the game in the third quarter as Matt Mobley went on a scoring frenzy scoring 19 of his 30 points including whipping out a trace of Kemba Walker with his step back jumper carrying the Fraport Skyliners to the satisfying 81-63 victory. “This was our best game of the season on offense and defense. We did a good job limiting their offense rebounds in the second half and also contained Tai Odiase better in the second half”, stressed Fraport Skyliner rookie Jon Axel Gundmundsson. BG Goettingen did a fine job staying with Frankfurt in the first half, but in the second half couldn´t execute on offense anymore against the more disciplined Frankfurt defense and just couldn´t get consistent stops or get a grip on Matt Mobley. “In the first half we played together and grabbed rebounds, but in the third quarter when they went on their run, they got many loose balls which changed the momentum of the game. We fell apart and couldn´t regroup and go on a run like in the first half. We need to want to have the ball more”, warned BG Goettingen forward Will Rayman. Frankfurt made suitable defensive adjustments in the third quarter which BG Goettingen had no answer to. “Frankfurt did a good job getting us out of our plays and we couldn´t find any solutions. They played very cohiesive and we were a little more disjointed. We need to find back to our winning ways and find an offensive rhythm more early and not let them take us out of our plays”, warned BG Goettingen forward Aubrey Dawkins.

                BG Goettingen got on the score board first as athletic big man Tai Odiase who played with the Greensboro Swarm (NBA G League):last season made a runner as he would become a real sore spot in Frankfurt´s side in the first quarter. The Fraport Skyliners didn´t wait long to get going quickly scoring 5 unanswered points as ex wiha Panthers Schwenningen forward Rasheed Moore made a lay in and ex Davidson(NCAA) guard Jon Axel Gundmundsson dropped a trey for the 5-2 advantage. Both teams than changed leads as Odiase scored again and ex Rasta Vechta center Michael Kessens made a lay in for the 7-6 lead. Both teams were trying to get their big men involved and it worked. Frankfurt regained the lead as ex Auburn(NCAA) great Quantez Robertson nailed a trey in ex NBA player Jorge Gutierrez´s face for the 10-6 lead. But Frankfurt lost some intensity after this big Robertson three as BG Goettingen finished strong going on a 13-3 run to lead 19-13 after 10 minutes. In the run, BG Goettingen was aided by the continued very aggressive play by Odiase who scored twice with a hard dunk and tip off his own miss while Dawkins nailed a tough turn around shot and ex Long Beach State University (NCAA) guard Deishuan Booker hit a trey. BG Goettingen did a good job using the mis matches and played good inside out basketball and just dominated the paint area. BG Goettingen led 19-13 after one quarter. “We had problems containing Tai Odiase who was very aggressive, rebounded well and played the pick and roll well. He also had a nice mid range game”, stressed Jon Axel Gundmundsson.

            In the second quarter the game was tight and a game of runs. The Fraport Skyliners raced out on a quick 6-0 run to dead lock the contest at 19-19. In the run, ex St Bonaventure(NCAA) guard Matt Mobley got going making a lay in and hit free throws while Michael Kessens also scored. Then it was time for BG Goettingen to find some daylight as they recuperated going on a 7-2 run to lead 26-21. In the run, it was ex Gonzaga German Matis Monnighof who hit a trey, Odiase connected on transition with a lay in and Gutierrez was lucky as a loose ball skipped directly into his hands as he was cutting to the rim getting the easy bucket. BG Goettingen kept the lead with another Gutierrez jumper, but Frankfurt remained on the guests heels as Moore and Mobley scored. Frankfurt had a better rhythm on offense and got the lead back through hard work and hustle as German guard Konstantin Konga snuck inside getting an offense rebound and put back tying the game at 29-29 and Mobley struck again scoring a tough shot in traffic for the 31-29 lead. Ex California(NCAA) center Harper Kamp made a nice spin move tying the game at 31-31. Kamp who last played in 2018 with Malvin Montevideo (Uruguay-LUB) still has game at age 32 and finished with 10 points in 17 minutes. Frankfurt then would play the game of runs game again going on a 5-0 run to extend their lead to 36-31 as Konga drilled home an open trey and Kessens caught BG Goettingen napping on transition defense as he scored. But BG Goettingen ended the second quarter of runs quarter with a 7-0 run to trail only 38-36 at the break. In their run, it was all Harper Kamp who scored 7 unanswered points and continued the BG Goettingen dominance of the paint as Frankfurt wasn´t able to contain the big man. “We didn´t play physical enough against them and were too soft”, said Jon Axel Gundmundsson.

            The Fraport Skyliners took charge of the game in the third quarter winning it 25-9 as Matt Mobley scored 19 points being a total offensive scoring wrecking machine. The Fraport Skyliners came out smoking as they reeled off a 17-4 run to totally broke open the game to lead comfortably 54-42. Rasheed Moore began the offensive onslaught with a pretty turn around shot which then was followed by a Gundmundsson bomb form at least 9 meters as Frankfurt led 41-38 and would never trail again. The good Frankfurt start was helped by three defensive stops. BG Goettingen finally got on the board at 7,26 as Gutierrez showed that he has mid range game making a shot as BG Goettingen trailed 41-30. Then came the Matt Mobley show as he scored 12 points in a span of 4 minutes. He scored 4 free throws, connected on two three´s and also made a runner. “He is tough to stop. He can make shots from the easyCredit BBL sign. He has nice range. I was guarding him and tried to go close up to him, but he drove right me”, stated Will Rayman. Rayman then nailed a three pointer and made a tip in, but that didn´t bother Mobley as he continued to be in attack mode as he scored 7 more points. He made 4 free throws and ended the third quarter with a beautiful step back three pointer ala Kemba Walker. “When he gets hot, he can make any shot. That step back was more like Kemba. Kemba likes taking those shot. His quickness makes him so hard to stop”, added Jon Axel Gundmundsson. After 30 minutes of action the Fraport Skyliners had the very satisfying 61-47 advantage. “We kept getting stops and got easy baskets. We got Mobley open shots and he kept attacking. When he gets hot, we know that he will be hard to stop”, added Jon Axel Gundmundsson. “Frankfurt was switching a bit more and were more aggressive in the post. We didn´t move the ball as well and had more 1-1 plays”, stressed Will Rayman.

            The Fraport Skyliners kept their offensive pressure and consistency in the fourth quarter and never allowed BG Goettingen to cut the Frankfurt lead under double digits. Frankfurt got off to another good and quick start getting a lay in from ex Miami(NCAA) center Kamari Murphy and Quantez Robertson executed on a trey as Frankfurt led 66-50. Frankfurt showed some beautiful ball movement as ex Braunschwieg guard Joe Rahon made the extra pass to Tez for the perfect executed play. Robertson finished with 7 points, 11 boards, 4 dimes and a steal and got lauded after the game by head coach Sebastian Gleim for his ruthless defense on Aubrey Dawkins who finished only with 6 points way under his season average of 15,0ppg. “He is a very good defender. I can only image what kind of pest he was like 10 years ago. He is still going strong. If I could I would definitely pick his brain and ask him what it takes to play so long. He has the quick hands and feet that give him the tools for being a great defender”, said Aubrey Dawkins. One guy who is up for the Skyliners unsung hero and most improved in the easyCredit BBL is Rasheed Moore. This guy moved up 3 leagues in 3 seasons and is playing his first BBL season as if he has been here for 5 years. He scored 2 baskets in a row as he picked his spots well upping the Frankfurt lead to 71-52. The American finished the contest with 10 points, 7 boards and 4 assists. BG Goetingen got some garbage points form Germans ex FC Bayern Munich guard Nelsom Weidemann and Andrew Onwuegbuzie to cut the Frankfurt lead to 73-59, but Frankfurt closed out the game with a Gundmundsson trey and Kessens lay in. “It was important that we ended the game strong. We are a young team and that is an important strength for us. That will give us a lot of confidence for the next game”, warned Jon Axel Gundmundsson. “We let our heads down. We have to stay tough and come together. When you don´t get a rhythm on defense then it´s hard to do that on offense. Frankfurt was rewarded for their hard work. They got so many loose balls. They played harder than we did”, stressed Will Rayman. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Matt Mobley with 30 points. Michael Kessens added 12 points and Jon Axel Gundmundsson scored 11 points and Rasheed Moore added 10 points while BG Goettingen was led by Tai Odiase with 14 points and Harper Kamp added 10 points. The Fraport Skyliners shot 43% from the field and 38% from outside and had 43 rebounds and 15 turnovers while BG Goettingen shot 35% from the field and 27% from outside and had 30 rebounds and 16 turnovers.