After the first Fiba break, it was time to play basketball in the Pro A again. The EPG Baskets had ample time to recuperate and get injured players back on track and came into the next home battle into the game with a solid 4-3 record and playoff hopes even if still far away a reality. The club led by head coach Pat Elzie have been playing good basketball as of late having won 3 of their last 4 games, but they definitely had no cake walk against the 5-2 Munster team a club led by head coach Gotz Rohdewald. After a slow start where they lost their first 2 games, they have come alive in the last weeks. The terrible 24 point loss to Frankfurt woke them up and since had been cruising on a 5 game winning streak. They came into the contest with a lot of self-confidence because they won the last 2 games against Vechta and Bayreuth in tight fashion. Their defense stalled a bit in the last games, the perfect opportunity for the Koblenz offensive hungry team to take advantage off. On a cool Friday evening in Autumn, both teams came to battle in the posh CGM arena and the guests came out potent right out of the gate and rapidly forced the EPG Baskets to play pick up basketball winning their sixth game in a row dismantling the EPG Baskets Koblenz 80-74. After the big win a drained but content Nathan Scott who looked like a kid in a candy shop was all smiles. “Were still not healthy, but played very well. All we have talked about this season is team basketball. You normally think overseas that the normal job of an American is to score, but my dad always told me to pass the ball. We played as a team. This game was a war. I liked how we crashed the boards and kept our composure. Our goal every week is to prove everyone wrong. This was an ugly win”, stressed ex Uni Baskets Munster Nathan Scott. The EPG Baskets Koblenz could never get over the hump even if they came close. All in all it was a disappointing loss and another one one can learn from. “Munster have had a super run. We knew it would be a tough game. They were the best shooting team and showed it in the first half. We had our chances but too many easy missed lay up´s and loose balls hurt us”, stressed EPG Baskets head coach Pat Elzie. “We hit some tough shots where I thought had we missed them, then Koblenz might have been able to turn the game around. We are playing with much self-confidence at the moment which is important in tight games”, added Uni baskets Munster head coach Gotz Rohdewald.

Maurice Pluskota

The EPG Baskets Koblenz came into the game without key players AJ Plitzuweit, Leo Saffer and Rytis Pipiras while the guests were without Carlos Carter. The guests didn´t waste anytime taking control of the game early taking the quick 11-4 lead. They got 2 early baskets in the paint from ex Ludwigsburg center Adam Touray (206-C-1994), a crazy three from ex Chemnitz German Stefan Wess and a trey from ex Randers forward Nathan Scott. The guests were playing beautiful team basketball while Koblenz was getting g the ball inside as Germans Moses Poelking and Maurice Pluskota scored, but on defense they weren´t aggressive enough. Touray continued to be a menace scoring 2 more times inside as the guests led 16-8. It was no surprise to Munster head coach Gotz Rohdewald that his player was having success against the talented Koblenz big men. “I have known Adam since he was 16. I knew he was a good player. Last year at the 4, he couldn´t display his game but this season he is doing well at the 5. He played well against future Euroleague player Johan Gruenloh and gave him problems. He is a very good player”, warned Gotz Rohdewald. Koblenz couldn´t buy a bucket inside and then ex Fraport Skyliner Junior Cosmo Gruehn drilled home a trey and Munster led 20-11. Munster punished Koblenz with every mistake they did. Finally the EPG Baskets Koblenz found their three pointer and nailed 3 from captain Marvin Heckel, ex Dragon Rhondorf center Gabriel De Olveira and ex MLP Academics guard Leon Friderici also scored as Munster led only 25-20 after 10 minutes. “We closed out the quarter well after not a good start. I feel like many fouls weren´t called. We fought very hard and our injured guys back helped us”, stated EPG Baskets Koblenz CEO Thomas Klein.

Hilmar Petursson from the corner

In the second quarter the UNI Baskets Munster continued their fine team basketball and led by as much as 12 points, but the EPG Baskets Koblenz continued to fight and had good phases in comebacks getting as close as 3 points, but at the break were down by 7 points. The Uni Baskets Munster began the second quarter with a rapid 9-2 run to get their biggest lead of the game at 34-22. Munster shared the ball nicely and got scoring production from many as ex Wurzburg center Jonas Weitzel made a lay in, ex Hagen guard Jasper Guenther connected from the corner, Touray made a hook shot and Gruehn another three pointer. Munster did a good job finding their spots which Koblenz couldn´t close well enough and rebounded the ball well. But basketball will always be a game of runs and now it was the EPG Baskets Koblenz turn as they went on a 12-3 run to trail only 37-34. In the run, Koblenz received good production Gabriel De Olveira who scored twice while they also got vital transition buckets from Heckel and Pluskota. But Koblenz couldn´t turn off the defensive lapses as they continued to give up easy baskets in the zone as Wetzel and Scott scored for the Munster 42-34 advantage. Munster closed out the second quarter well continuing to execute their offense well as Scott found his spots again scoring on a lay in while Wess nailed a trey. American Trey Hall scored at the buzzer as Koblenz trailed only 47-40 at half-time. “We lost the second quarter only by 2 points. We executed our offense better, but we allowed way too many easy points and didn´t make the easy shots”, stated Thomas Klein.

Niclas Sperber lay in

In the third quarter the Uni Baskets Munster continued to control the game and despite some punches thrown from Koblenz, they always had an answer and still led by 10 points after 30 minutes. The guests got out of the gate well hitting 2 three´s from Wess and Scott to up their advantage to 53-44. But the EPG Baskets Koblenz stormed back going on a 7-1 run to trail only 54-51. In the run they attacked the rim more aggressively as Heckel scored with his quickness inside and Poelking made a lay in, dunk and free throw. Koblenz upped their physicality and aggressiveness something Munster couldn´t come to terms at that moment. But the up and down play of Koblenz was annoying as they allowed Munster to get their lead up again allowing a 7-0 run as Scott made a field goal and free throws and Gruehn made a pull up jumper as Koblenz trailed 61-51. “I really don´t have an answer for the play of the Baskets. They are simply unconcentrated and have mental lapses”, stated Thomas Klein. Koblenz got some clutch three´s from De Olveira and Hall, but just couldn´t get timely stops as Gruehn made a trey and tip in dunk. The 50-50 balls for Munster felt like 100%. The Uni Baskets Munster led comfortably again 71-61 after 3 quarters. “We kept our head on. We were all upset in the huddle, but Cosmo Gruehn told us to keep going. We simply stuck together”, added Nathan Scott. “We had too many unforced errors and we had no controlled drive”, commented Thomas Klein.

Adam Touray

In the fourth quarter the Uni Baskets Munster held the EPG Baskets Koblenz to only 9 points and made big stops in crunch-time to secure the victory. Weitzel began the fourth quarter with a 15 footer to give Munster the 73-61 advantage. Koblenz had another good phase going on a 7-2 run to cut Munster´s lead to 75-68. The EPG Baskets Koblenz attacked the zone, but still couldn´t get really good finishes as they often were on the strong side. They did get 2 baskets from Moses Poelking as he was a beast down low. Weitzel made a smooth turn around shot as crunch-time began and gave Munster the 78-68 lead. In crunch-time the EPG Baskets Koblenz gave it one last punch as Friderici and Heckel scored to cut Munster´s lead to 78-74. In the last minutes, the UNI Baskets Munster played solid defense especially their guards who didn´t allow Marvin Heckel to do his magic securing the win. All in the EPG Baskets Koblenz had their chances in crunch-time, but a healthy offensive rhythm and that spark in the ball movement was simply missing. “You have to give our guards credit. They are dogs. They are like pit bulls. I don´t want to take them off their leashes. They were huge in crunch-time”, smiled Nathan Scott. “You can´t give Marvin Heckel the blame. Yes he made a bad pass, but we lost as a team. A few more rebounds and better defense was needed today”, stressed Pat Elzie. The Uni Baskets Munster were led by Adam Touray with 22 points while Nathan Scott chipped in with 13 points and Jonas Weitzel had 10 points while the EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by Moses Poelking with 13 points while Gabriel De Olveira and Marvin Heckel chipped in with 12 points a piece. The Uni Baskets Munster shot 44% from the field and 35% from outside and had 35 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 43% from the field and 27% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 16 turnovers.