Rytis Pipiras leads teh EPG Baskets Koblenz to pre-season win

When your a basketball fan in Koblenz and follow the EPG Baskets the last years where they made the march from the Regionalliga to the Pro A in only 3 seasons, the basketball passion is unending and a summer break can be as long it is for current MLS Miami fans to actually have to endure a Lionel Messi scoring drought that isn’t happening. Winning and seeing guys score goals is something you can get used to very rapidly and anything else that gets in the way can be very disturbing. After a busy summer where head coach Pat Elzie and manager Thomas Klein formed the team, it was finally time for the fans to see the new formed club in action with the new guys and old guys. The club faced top Luxemburg team Amicale Steinsel. The only difference was that the game wasn’t played in the beautiful CGM arena where they play their home games, but in their training area Karthause gym. Fans came out like in droves to see their hero’s. The Luxemburg team have collected 17 titles in their country and last won the league title in 2022. They came to Koblenz with the desire to show the new Pro A team that good basketball is played in Luxemburg. ‘I am looking forward to playing this team. I’m sure they will come hungry ready to play and I will be ready as well’, warned Jarvis Williams. It was a mild late summer day in Koblenz at tip off as pre season was in full swing. A good number of fans came out to see their team and witness a dominant first half, but in the second half the home team let up allowing 44 points to the guests, but in the end pulled out a 77-74 grind out win. ‘We had good and bad phases in the game. You could see that we still aren’t integrated enough on the defensive end. I felt our offense was good. We moved the ball well and showed we can play team basketball. All in all it was a ok showing’, stressed injured big man Maurice Pluskota. The Luxemburg team was led by rookie American Kim Aiken who exploded for 36 points and almost led his team by himself over the hump in crunch time. ‘I’m really proud of how we played. We knew it would be a tough game and very physical since they were a lot bigger than we were. But we stayed the course and fought until the end. We are still figuring each other out. We did the best we could’, stressed American Jarvis Williams.

The EPG Baskets walking wounded list with Leon Friderici, Maurice Pluskota, Delante Jones and Dominique Johnson

The roster for this pre season game already was filled with much talent and a deep roster, but when looking at the wounded walking list with Leon Friderici, Maurice Pluskoa, Delante Jones and Domininique Johnson, one has to wonder how lethal the team will be when all are on board. The first few minutes of the first quarter looked like a typical first test game as both teams were still feeling each other out. Amicale Steinsel got early aggressiveness from American Jarvis Williams who played in the G-League early in his career getting a jumper, lay in and free throws, while Koblenz got 5 points from new center Gabriel De Olveira. The EPG Baskets Koblenz have liked the three ball the last 2 seasons and it won’t be any different this season as they added 2 new snipers with rookie AJ Plitzuweit and Rytis Pipiras (201-SF-1995) who nailed from downtown giving them the 14-8 advantage. The Luxemburg side sparkled on the offensive glass and got to the free throw line to stay in the game and possibly could have been closer had their execution rate been better from there trailing 14-12. But The EPG Baskets Koblenz found a better groove in their offense and closed out the last minutes with a 12-6 run to lead 26-18 after 10 minutes. In the run, the three ball continued to pay dividends as German Niclas Sperber connected twice and Germans Moritz Huebner and Leo Saffer also scored as Koblenz was presenting the guests with mis match problems play after play. ‘We had a good motion and good inside out play. We have many good shooters which benefited us getting 6 three’s. I was happy with our play’, stressed EPG Baskets Koblenz CEO Thomas Klein.

Rytis Pipiras for 3

The second quarter had two faces as the EPG Baskets Koblenz dominated in the first 5 minutes and then stepped off the gas pedal and let up allowing Amicale Steinsel to come back and trail by 14 points. The EPG Baskets Koblenz began the second quarter erupting for 13 straight points to up their lead to 39-18 as they played their best basketball of the game. New Lithuanian Rytis Pipiras exploded for 9 points as he showed his versatile game. He made an offensive rebound and put back as well as a trey, running bank shot and a left handed lay in. ‘Rytas can play the 3/4 positions. He can also play the 2 if needed. He is so versatile and is a mis match problem no matter what position he plays. I already observed his game when he was in the Pro B. He was a big reason why Schwenningen was so competitive in the Pro A playoffs a few years ago’, stated Thomas Klein. But the EPG Baskets Koblenz couldn’t hold the momentum or intensity as they allowed Amicale Stensel to close out the second quarter with a 12-6 run. The guests became calmer and made better decisions while the Koblenz offense sputtered and was too hectic resulting to chaotic turnovers and bad shots. Instrumental in the guests turn around was Luxemburg national player Ivor Kuresivic who made 3 shots from the mid distance. Down the stretch American rookie Kim Aitken who played 7 NCAA games with Arizona and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2022 slowly began to heat up scoring 2 buckets. His time would really happen in the second half as he would drop 28 points. ‘In the early run we showed with what kind of speed we can play at. We played very physical defense. At the end we lost our rhythm a bit’, added Thomas Klein.

Kim Aiken from the FT line

In the third quarter Amicale Steinsel continued to fight and never allowed the EPG Baskets Koblenz to turn off the lights as they were always pressuring and remained in the game. Rytis Pipiras showed early that he can score in bunches as he made a lay in and then made the prettiest play of the game executing an alley-oop pass from Marvin Heckel for the thunderous dunk and 48-30 advantage. But the guests always had an answer as Kim Aiken showed his effectiveness in the mid range scoring twice. But Koblenz didn’t play their most consistent offense, but had answers when they needed them as Heckel and Saffer scored for the 52-36 lead. But Amicale Steinsel just kept chipping away and went on a 10-1 run to trail only 53-46 as their zone was stifling the Koblenz offense. In the run, the Luxemburg side got solid production from Jarvis Williams who connected for two shots and Aiken made free throws. The EPG Baskets Koblenz simply had too many weapons to allow the guests to get any closer as top defender Moses Poelking made a dunk and 2 free throws and Moritz Huebner nailed a three pointer to lead 60-50. ‘We couldn’t adjust to their zone. We also were to involved with the refs and were too focused with ourselves. That can’t happen. We have to be focused together as a team’, stated Maurice Pluskota. ‘We went to zone and they weren’t prepared for it. I feel like we surprised them. We were aggressive and played hard. They underestimated us’, said Jarvis Williams.

Moritz Huebner from the FT line

In the fourth quarter Amicale Stensel still had some energy in their gas tank and allowed Kim Aiken to carry the team as he exploded for 16 points to almost produce the last second miracle. ‘He is a big body that likes to play physical. He was quicker than their bigs and had the upper-hand. He did all he could. He will help me this season take some of the scoring load off my shoulders’, commented Jarvis Williams. ‘Aiken fought hard and never gave up. You have to tip your hat to him. He will have a good season with them’, stressed Maurice Pluskota. The guests didn’t waste anytime in their come back as they began with a 6-2 run to trail 62-56 as Aiken scored twice and Williams made 2 free throws. Koblenz had some mobility problems with many bigs in and Kim Aiken used that to his advantage. The EPG Baskets Koblenz then saw some daylight getting a Sperber finger tip lay in and trey from Pipiras to lead 68-59. But Kim Aiken got stronger and stronger and became a one man wrecking crew as he made a three pointer and 4 free throws to trail 70-66. But that didn’t rattle Pat Elzie and his crew as scoring ace Trey Hall made free throws and Huebner another three pointer for the 75-68 advantage. Could the guests survive this blow and come back with the next punch and execute on offense? Yes they could. Durable scorer Jonas Theisen who has won 6 titles with Amicale Steinsel made a tip in and with 32 seconds left Jarvis Williams made a step back jumper to trail only 76-72. After a stop Kim Aiken made a clutch lay in in traffic to trail only 76-74 with 1,5 seconds to play with a free throw awaiting him. ‘We played hard in this quarter. We have been in this position before having to come back and knew what to expect. We fought until the end’, expressed Jarvis Williams. ‘We let them stay in the game. We were too occupied with ourselves and not kept our rhythm. Our communication on defense has to get better’, warned Maurice Pluskota. With 1,5 seconds to go, Kim Aiken had a free throw. It was obvious he would intentionally miss it and hope for the tip in. That didn’t happen and Moses Poelking closed out the game with a free throw and 77-74 victory. ‘A big strength is our length and physicality. Our length helped us secure the rebound at the end’, added Maurice Pluskota. ‘We didn’t get the needed bounce at the end, but we showed effort and that is better than nothing’, said Jarvis Williams.

Tags : RYTIS PIPIRAS, EPG BASKETS KOBLENZ, GERMAN BASKETBALL