The Fraport Skyliners road to the playoffs continues to be going at full throttle as they continue to play superb basketball in the stretch run. After a weak January where they lost 3 of 4 games, they found their mark in February and entered their game against Leitershofen with a 4 game winning streak. They really improved their defensive work allowing only 62 points on average against solid Bavarian clubs Coburg and Oberaching. Frankfurt continued to want to fight for home court advantage and next met 8-12 Leitershofen who were clawing to life for that last playoff spot and had a must win situation in Frankfurt’s living room. Leitershofen came to Frankfurt on a roll with a 2 game winning streak having beaten the AC Wizards and Speyer. They had revamped their offense showing their explosiveness averaging 94 points in the last 2 games and best scoring this season during the 2 game span. On a mild late winter day the Fraport Skyliners Juniors welcomed BG Hessing Leitershofen and remembered their 76-70 loss against them on the road and this time showed how explosive they can be when the team comes together on offense as they displayed a offensive show winning 100-78. ‘This was an important win for us. We have a nice winning streak going towards the playoffs. We played a lot of transition and shot the ball well. They switched against us, but we always adjusted well and found solutions’, stressed Fraport Skyliner Junior Philipp Hadenfeldt. The guests began slow and had to play catch up basketball all night long as they couldn’t come to terms with Frankfurt’s explosive offense and transition. ‘We didn’t bring it tonight. We lacked energy all night long. We looked out of shape. They beat us on transition and the boards’, stated Teachloach Pal.

Alvin Oniya at the FT line

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors didn’t waste anytime jumping all over BG Hessing Leitershofen as they led 11-0 after a few minutes. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors demonstrated their high class inside out basketball as they sprayed three’s from Justin Onyejiaka (195-F-2004) and Nolan Adekunle and Jordan Samare scored inside while Adekunle also added a lay in. On defense The Fraport Skyliners Juniors played hard nosed while being aggressive and forcing the guests to countless turnovers. Ex Giessen guard Lucas Mayer finally got BG Hessing Leitershofen on the board with a runner at the 6,07 minute mark. The guests finally calmed down and before The Fraport Skyliners Juniors knew it they were only leading 18-15. BG Hessing Leitershofen attacked the rim more getting buckets from Stjepan Lopalovic, Mayer and Pal. Pal But the Fraport Skyliners Juniors found back to their offensive rhythm closing out the first quarter with a 10-1 run to lead comfortably 28-16. In the run The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to shine on offense getting a lay in from Samare and trey from Adekunle while 3 and D specialist Bennet Schubert nailed free throws. Frankfurt continued to defend with a high intensity forcing turnovers and getting easy baskets. ‘They slept at the start, but then found their rhythm. We reacted well against their defense and always had solutions which helped us have the big lead after one quarter’, stressed Philipp Hadenfeldt. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 53% from the field and 56% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 4 turnovers while BG Hessing Leitershofen shot 46% from the field and 20% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

Marc Kaufeld to the rim

In the second quarter The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to keep the lead by double digits, but let up a bit at the end allowing the guests to trail only by 6 points at the break. Hadenfeldt and 2017 NBBL champion Mario Vazquez traded baskets as Frankfurt led 28-20. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to execute well getting baskets from Alvin Oniya and a trey from Jordan Samare while the guests also executed soundly with a lay in from German Marc Kaufeld who is in his 10th season with BG Hessing Leitershofen and a trey from Lewis Londene who is in his seventh season with the team, but The Fraport Skyliners Juniors still led 33-27. Then came possibly the prettiest play of the game as Bennet Schubert made an incredible save of the ball that resulted in an assist as the ball went straight to Philipp Hadenfeldt who dropped a three for the 36-27 advantage. ‘I was a bit surprised the ball came to me. That was a big play form him. He is known to make the hustle plays’, said Philipp Hadenfeldt. BG Hessing Leitershofen continued to chip away at the Frankfurt lead getting some big baskets from Mayer who supplied the nifty finger tip role and an offensive rebound and put back by Pal cutting the Frankfurt lead to 39-34. Frankfurt got key baskets inside by Samare and Alex Richardson who finally scored as he had misfortune early on missing easy shots inside. Pal scored on the buzzer after getting a beautiful shovel pass form Mayer on the penetration, but The Fraport Skyliners Juniors still led 42-36. ‘Samare is a good weapon for us. He showed his inside out game. When he can use his pick and pop game, it is really hard to defend. He carried us’, commented Philipp Hadenfeldt. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 75% from the field and 41% from the three point line and had 19 rebounds and 7 turnovers while BG Hessing Leitershofen shot 48% from the field and 17% from the three point line and had 17 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

Jordan Samare from outside

In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors found back to their explosive offense scoring 30 points while buckling down on defense and allowing only 17 points as they led 72-53 after 30 minutes. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors broke free with a 7-0 run to lead 49-36 lead. In the run Frankfurt got support from Hadenfeldt with another trey while Samare and Richardson continued to dominate the paint area with lay in’s. BG Hessing Leitershofen was rushing their offensive sets and were stopped 5 times before Vazquez finally broke the ice at the 7,28 minute mark for the first Leitershofen field goal. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to execute well on their set play and just crushed the guests on transition as Onyejaika scored back to back on transition and Samare made a dunk and Hadenfeldt a trey. But Frankfurt couldn’t make any ground as BG Hessing Leitershofen stayed with them getting key baskets Vazquez and Mayer to trail 58-46. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were able to up their lead a bit more as they got key three’s from Samare and Hadenfeldt while upping their defensive intensity and being more disruptive. The guests got a Nino Tomic three pointer and off balance jumper from Mayer, but couldn’t muster much more as they trailed 72-53 after 30 minutes. ‘We played good inside out basketball. They switched a lot and we were able to take advantage of the mismatches’, said Philipp Hadenfeldt. ‘We couldn’t find a good offensive rhythm and they really hurt us on transition’, stated Teachloach Pal. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 45% from the field and 42% form the parking lot and had 30 rebounds and 11 turnovers while BG Hessing Leitershofen shot 45% from the field and 25% from the parking lot and had 26 rebounds and 20 turnovers.

Lucas Mayer at the FT line

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to score easily on offense pouring home 28 points in the fourth quarter, but also allowed BG Hessing Leitershofen to score 25 points, but overall had a big enough lead that that didn’t effect the score. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors began with a 8-2 run to lead 80-55 as Nolan Adekunle supplied most of the damage with 7 points as his hot outside shooting and athleticism was too much to handle for BG Hessing Leitershofen. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to get the ball inside and use the mismatches to their favor as Richardson scored twice as Frankfurt led 86-58. The game was more as decided as The Fraport Skyliners Juniors lost some concentration and allowed the guests to sneak out on a 14-3 run to cut Frankfurt’s lead to 89-72. In the run BG Hessing Leitershofen got massive support from Pal who scored 7 points while Londene hit a three pointer and Meo Martin made an offensive rebound and put back. But The Fraport Skyliners Juniors didn’t play around anymore and closed out the game well with a 11-6 run. Dragon Crnjac added 5 points and Schubert a lay in ‘When you lead by so much your concentration tends to go down even if you don’t want it to. They hit some three’s even if they aren’t the best three point shooting team’, said Philipp Hadenfeldt. ‘Frankfurt thought the game was over early. You always have to fight until the buzer and that is what we did. We attacked the rim more which helped us in our comeback’, stated Teathloach Pal. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had 5 guys in double figures as Justin Onyejiaka scored 21 points. Jordan Samare added 20 points and Nolan Adekunle 17 points while BG Hessing Leitershofen were led by Lucas Mayer Teachloach Pal with 18 points a piece. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 45% from the field and 36% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 13 turnovers while BG Hessing Leitershofen shot 50% from the field and 34% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 27 turnovers.

Tags : JUSTIN ONYEJIAKA, FRAPORT SKYLINERS FRANKFURT JUNIOR TEAM, GERMAN BASKETBALL