So there were the Fraport Skyliners Juniors again a week later with a do or die game in their own living room. A week earlier they had survived the first match ball against them in Cologne and then returned again for another do or die game in their living room and won in exciting fashion in crunch time. A week later they had 2 more do or die games against the BSW Sixers. Frankfurt had lost the first game on the road in Sandersdorf 70-62. Frankfurt had a horrible shooting night and had had problems taking care of the ball, but rebounded the ball pretty well. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had showed once before being in the hole 0-1 against Cologne and wanted to do it again against top Pro B north team BSW Sixers, but they were able to pull out an upset getting smothered 77-57 by the BSW Sixers ending their season. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors did a good job competing in the first half, but in the second half were unable to match the Sixers intensity and just couldn’t crack their defense. The BSW Sixers were the best Pro B defensive team this season allowing 64 points per game, but according to Donte Nicholas there was nothing extra special about their defense. ‘. ‘We have no secret to the success of our defense. We are all committed and help the helper. We have that next man up mentality. We stuck to our game plan. We executed well, took care of the ball and made shots’, stressed ex Metro State (NCAA2) forward Donte Nicholas. It was a tough series for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors as they could only muster 58 points per game in the 2 game series as shots didn’t fall consistently while their defense was solid. ‘We didn’t hit our shots like in game one. Our start was ok but we shot poorly in the second half. When you don’t hit shots, your self-confidence goes down. They read our game well’, stated ex Hanau guard Felix Hecker.

Justin Onyejiaka from outside

The first quarter had 2 runs as the Frankfurt started one and the BSW Sixers ended with theirs as they had the slim 15-14 advantage after 10 minutes. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors defended well off the bat getting 4 stops, but couldn’t take total advantage of it getting only a trey from ex Addidas Next generation tournament center Jordan Samare. JBBL MVP Justin Onyejiaka got aggressive early and would hold it for 40 minutes scoring inside for the 5-0 lead. The BSW Sixers finally got on the board from Latvian Kristaps Klips who scored inside, but Frankfurt found their rhythm on offense getting 2 more lay ins from Onyejiaka and an offense rebound and put back from Alexander Richardson for the 11-4 lead. Frankfurt was aggressive while the Sixers rushed their offense and gave up some 50/50 balls. But Frankfurt couldn’t keep their advantage and intensity as the guests closed out the first quarter with a 11-3 run to lead 15-14 after 10 minutes. In the run the BSW Sixers received good support from Mr triple double Donte Nicholas who scored twice while 2018 JBBL champion Evans Rapique nailed a trey and 2018 JBBL champion Hendrik Warner (208-PF-2002) made a lay in. Frankfurt had problems with the defensive pressure and couldn’t get into their plays well while the gambling of the Sixers paid off. Frankfurt shot 38% from the field and 22% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 4 turnovers while the BSW Sixers shot 43% from the field and 14% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 4 turnovers. ‘Onyejiaka and Samare got some easy baskets, but Frankfurt was careless with the ball and had a lot of live turnovers’, stressed Fraport Skyliner Quantez Robertson.

Hendrik Warner to the hole

The second quarter was a real back and forth battle as there were 8 lead changes, but the BSW Sixers were able to get away from Frankfurt in the last minutes and led by 6 points at the break. The BSW Sixers once again didn’t start off too well getting stopped on their first 3 possessions, but once again all Frankfurt got out of it was a trey by Felix Hecker for the 17-15 lead. Warner then dead locked the game at 17-17 with a lay in. Both teams then exchanged punches as no team could escape the other. Onyejiaka continued to be aggressive and scored a three pointer while Nicholas was given too much room to wheel and deal and hit a trey for the 24-22 lead. Frankfurt would gain the lead back one more time in the second quarter with a Onyejiaka free throw 25-24. But the BSW Sixers then heightened their intensity and execution rate closing out the defensive quarter with a 9-2 run to lead 33-27. In the run the Pro B north club shared the ball nicely and continued to get solid production from Hendrik Warner who’s beast appearance couldn’t be handled by Frankfurt as he scored twice. Nicholas added another trey while Klips snuck inside for a lay in. Frankfurt was too lax on the 1-1 defense and too soft on the boards. Richardson added a lay in at the end. The BSW Sixers shot 43% from the field and 25% from the three point line and had 20 rebounds and 9 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 33% from the field and 24% from the three point line and had 18 rebounds and 9 turnovers. ‘Frankfurt allowed too many jump shots and shot too many three’s instead of attacking more’, added ex Auburn (NCAA) great Quantez Robertson.

Alvin Onyia at the ft line

In the third quarter the BSW Sixers got a 8 point lead, but Frankfurt supplied a punch with a run, but the guests punched back and led by 11 points after 30 minutes. Both teams got their offenses going rapidly as Sixers Germans Marco Rahn and Moritz Schneider connected while Frankfurt got support from Alexander Richardson with a dunk and old school hook shot, but still trailed 37-33. After Nicholas supplied an extra pass to hook up Rahn for a three pointer and 40-33 lead, Frankfurt erupted with a 5-0 run to trail only 40-38. Nils Leonhardt supplied Frankfurt with extra energy with a steal and coast to coast sprint and dunk and Onyejiaka nailed a three pointer. Frankfurt did a good job attacking more and getting their bigs involved and take advantage of mis matches while Justin Onyejiaka took on more responsibility. But Frankkfurt couldn’t match the Sixers intensity as they suffered a 14-5 run to trail 54-43 after 3 quarters. Nicholas continued to be a scoring machine scoring twice while Klips nailed a trey and Warner scored twice as he totally controlled the paint area. Warner had the game of his Pro B career scoring 24 points. ‘It all came together for Hendrik today. We wanted to see this from him all year long. He played like a man tonight. Now he needs to be consistent’, warned Donte Nicholas. Frankfurt didn’t take care of the ball and too often gave away gifts for easy steals. The BSW Sixers shot 45% from the field and 25% from the parking lot and had 29 rebounds and 11 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners juniors shot 37% from the field and 25% from the parking lot and had 25 rebounds and 12 turnovers. ‘We worked a zone which was ok, but we couldn’t take advantage of it, because we didn’t execute on offense’, said Felix Hecker. ‘We made shots. When we can feed off our defense everything is a lot easier’, commented Donte Nicholas.

Evans Rapieque at the FT line

In the fourth quarter the BSW Sixers continued to play their game while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors couldn’t get over the hump and never got closer than 8 points. Evans Rapique who has 15 easyCredit BBL games on his account made a lay In giving the dime to Nicholas. Nicholas finished with 5 assists, one pass prettier than the next. ‘I love to pass the ball. I get a better feeling seeing someone making a basket from my pass and adding their flavor to it’, said Donte Nicholas. Frankfurt did a good job continuing to feed the bigs inside as Leonhardt made a dunk and Richardson scored twice, but Frankfurt couldn’t make any ground as the guests got a trey from Nicholas and a Warner dunk to lead 61-50. Frankfurt tried one more push as Justin Onyejiaka dropped a trey as Frankfurt trailed only 61-53, but that was as close as they would get. The BSW Sixers had seen enough and then slammed the door shut on Frankfurt with a 9-0 run to lead 70-53 and decide the game. In the run the BSW Sixers got lay in’s from Nicholas and Rapieque while Warner made a lay in getting another beautiful shovel pass from Nicholas and Rahn connected on a three pointer. Frankfurt got sloppy in the run as every play was a lob inside which the Sixers read every time and controlled the boards and made big rebounds. Onyejiaka would make another lay in, but the guests closed out the win with a Warner three pointer. ‘We were tired, but we did a good job keeping the intensity. When everyone is together and screaming on defense, it feels like we have 7 defenders’, stated Donte Nicholas. ‘Warner was really strong. They always had another guy step up. We simply missed too many open shots’, commented Felix Hecker. The BSW Sixers were led by Hendrik Warner with 24 points and Donte Nicholas added 21/7/5/4 stats while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Justin Onyejiaka with 20 points and Alexander Richardson added 13 points. The BSW Sixers shot 47% from the field and 29% from outside and had 40 rebounds and 14 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 37% from the field and 20% from outside and had 35 rebounds and 16 turnovers.

Tags : HENDRIK WARNER, SYNTAINICS MBC WEISSENFELS, GERMAN BASKETBALL