It seems like it was ages ago when the BCM witnessed Rasheed Moore there wearing a Panthers jersey as it was in the 2018-2019 season. Since then he made the jump to the Pro A and easyCredit BBL and played in Romania while the Panthers now sporting the name Black Forest on the uniform played 4 years in the Pro A and now are back in the Pro B. It has been a tough season as they came to Frankfurt with a 2-7 record and were playing like a team that is ready to head back to the Regionalliga a place they last played in in the 17-18 season. They came back to Frankfurt to play the Fraport Skyliners Juniors who have had an up and down season having a 4-5 season. The Black Forest Panthers have had massive problems on the defensive end allowing 86 points on average while Frankfurt haven´t played bad, but lost 2 nail bitters to Rhondorf and Orange Academy which has disallowed them from being above 500. On a late autumn day the Black Forest Panthers came to Frankfurt without Rasheed Moore, but had other talented players and were hoping to stop their 3 game losing streak, but couldn´t get over the hump in crunch-time despite a massive 3 point rainfall by young 19 year old Icelandic guard August Kjartansson losing 83-73. The Panthers definately played better than against Fellbach, but the only thing that counts now are wins to escape the Pro B south cellar. „We fought hard and played pretty good defense, but it just wasn´t enough. They had too many good individual players. We have to find a better rhythm in the game to be able to score more. We have a good group of guys, but have to figure out some things“, stressed Black Forest Panther guard Agust Kjartansson. The Fraport Skyliners moved to 5-5 and came alive on the boards and found their 3 point touch in the second half. „We had ups and downs today, but had important stops to keep our lead. We played more as a team and read their defense well and executed well“, stressed Fraport Skyliner Junior JJordan Samare (202-PF-2002).

Trevian Bell at the FT line

In the first quarter, a low scoring game was established as both teams had great difficulty hitting shots. Trevion Bell made the first field goal of the game with a trey, but Frankfurt couldn´t make much ground despite getting 5 stops. The Black Forest Panthers found some daylight going on a 9-0 run to lead 9-3. They got some key three´s from young Germans Thomas Gaus and Jegor Cymbal and a turnaround shot by ex Wedel center Christian Okolie. The guests upped their intensity while Frankfurt made bad offensive decisions, but also missed easy lay ups. Frankfurt had problems establishing an offensive rhythm and despite getting some buckets from JJordan Samare and Felix Hecker, there wasn´t much more they could produce. The Panthers got key support from the bench from Virginia rookie Luke Lawson who made a lay in and ex FC Bayern Munich German Emmanuel Womala made an offensive rebound and put back for the 14-8 Panthers lead after 10 minutes. „You noticed that the opponent scouted Frankfurt well and simply worked harder than Frankfurt. Frankfurt worked hard for good shots, but they just didn´t fall“, commented ex Indiana State guard Cameron Henry. The Black Forest Panthers shot 24% from the field and 25% from outside and had 17 rebounds and 3 turnovers while the Fraport Skylioners Juniors shot 19% from the field and 14% from outside and had 14 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

Agust Kjartansson from outside

The lack of scoring continued somehwhat in the second quarter, but the Fraport Skyliners Juniors heightened their offense by scoring 22 points and led 30-28 at the break. Frankfurt got on the board first with a three pointer by JJordan Samare to trail 14-11, but like in the first quarter couldn´t take advantage of 4 stops against the opponent. Thomas Gaus finally broke the scoring slump with a three pointer to lead 17-11 at the 7,41 minute mark. Samare and Kjartansson then traded lay ins as Frankfurt still trailed 19-13. But when you have such a talented team that Frankfurt has, it is only a matter of time before the offense starts to roll and it finally did as they went on a 11-2 run to lead24-21. Instruemental in the run wasn´t only JJordan Samare´s 2 clutch three´s, but also his relentless work on the boards as he led his team to 20 rebounds in the quarter while he hauled down 5 rebounds. In the run, the club also drew intelligent fouls as captain Alvin Onyia hit 3 and German Philipp Hadenfeldt also scored. Schwenningen did get the lead back with the help of a Kjartansson three pointer and Cymbal free throws 26-25, but Frankfurt stole the lead right back with a Onyia runner and Dusan Nikolic lay in 30-26. Luke Lawson plastered a hard one handed dunk to close out the second quarter which had some people jumping from their seats. „The Skyliners continued to get good shots and this time they went in. Frankfurt was playing with more energy and forced more turnovers. Frankfurt crashed the boards well led by Samare. He was the main guy doing the dirty work“, expressed Cameron Henry. The Fraport Skyliners shot 24% from the field and 20% from the three point line and had 34 rebounds and 7 turnovers while the Black Forest Panthers shot 26% from the field and 27% from outside and had 26 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

Alvin Oniya with the runner

The third quarter witnessed 3 runs as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had 2 of them and led comfortably by 12 points after 30 minutes. Kjartansson began the third quarter with a three pointer to dead lock the game at 30-30, but then came the big moment of 2018 JBBL winner Nolan Adekunle who nailed 3 consecutive three´s for the 39-32 Frankfurt advantage. The guests had problems matching the intensity and physicality of Frankfurt and couldn´t buy a basket while Frankfurt dominated the boards. But basketball is always a game of runs and Schwenningen struck back with a swift 7-0 run to tie the game 39-39. Frankfurt had previously done a good job denying the entry inside, but in the run, the guests finally got easy baskets as their bigs got touches and executed. Ex Fraport Skyliner Daniel Mayer, Luke Lawson and Okolie all scored in the run. But Frankfurt didn´t let that rapid burst of energy by the guests stop their quest to win as they closed out the third quarter with a brutal 13-1 run to lead 52-40. In the run, Frankfurt got solid support from Samare as he contributed 6 points. But other players also stepped up as Bell made a runner, Hadenfeldt a lay in and Oniya free throws. „We didn´t defend well enough against Kjartansson. But we did wortk hard on the offensive glass. We also dominated the 50/50 balls. We practice that a lot“, commented JJordan Samare. „We have the lost the third quarter in the last 3 games. We tried to mix it up with zone and they hit tough shots. They hurt us with their individual class that they have“, added Agust Kjartansson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 27% from the field and 25% from the parking lot and had 47 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the Black Forest Panthers shot 27% from the field and 21% from the parking lot and had 38 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

Daniel Mayer at the FT line

The Black Forest Panthers made a run in the fourth quarter as Agust Kjartansson went crazy hitting from everywhere, but had his team made a few more free throws during the game, then possibly they might have escaped with a win. A Oniya three pointer and Samare free throw gave Frankfurt it´s biggest lead of the game at 56-40. But the guests still had energy and Kjartansson in their pocket. Possibly Kjartansson had seen his 6 turnovers on the stat sheet after 3 quarters which gave him that extra spark to let it rain three´s? The Panthers went on a 9-3 run to trail only 59-49 as Kjartansson scored 2 three´s and Gaus also added a trey. Adekunle stopped the run with a three pointer as Frankfurt led 62-49, but the Panthers were sparked by Kjartansson as he led his team on a 11-2 run to trail only 64-60. In the run, Kjartansson nailed 2 three´s and a lay in while Gaus connected again from downtown. After a Florian Dietrich free throw, Mayer made a lay in as Frankfurt only led 65-62. Kjartansson continued to hit 2 more three´s, but Frankfurt always had an answer as Samare made a lay in and Oniya free throws as Frankfurt had the upperhand 75-69. After a Kjartansson miss, Trevian Bell made a lay in for the 77-69 advantage. Kjartansson made his eighth three pointer of the game, but Frankfurt still led 77-72. The 19 year old from Iceland finished with 30 points. „I began the season off bad shooting the three, but I had more luck in the last games. I know in my heart that I can shoot. I got more confidence in the last games. When I see the rim, I´m shooting the ball“, warned Agust Kjartansson. But Frankfurt had the momentum and closed out the game with a 6-1 run as they finished the game with 6 free throws from Samare, Bell and Nikolic. „We stuck together. Even if Kjartansson made many shots, we were able to continue to execute well on offense. Key was we got stops and got to the free throw line“, stated JJordan Samare. „We had to many turnovers and missed free throws. We couldn´t make free throws for our lives. We struggled with the offensive rebounds. We worked hard, but things just bounced their way“, said Agust Kjartansson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors wered led by JJordan Samare with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Nolan Adekunle added 15 points, Alkvin Onyia 14 points and Philipp Hadenfeldt 13 points while the Black Forest Panthers were led by Agust Kjartansson with 30 points while Thomas Gaus added 13 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 30% from the field and 29% from outside and had 55 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the Black Forest Panthers shot 36% from the field and 38% from outside and had 48 rebounds and 16 turnovers.