If Fraport Skyliner fans thought times were difficult now, it could have been a lot worse going into the Trier game. After winning their first 9 games of the season, they have since had lost 4 of their last seven games. They could easily be 10-6, because they were very fortunate to escape Bremerhaven and Koblenz with wins. Their biggest problem is that when their three isn´t falling, it gets very difficult to win and they are playing too little inside. After an ugly loss in Vechta, it didn´t get any easier against Trier even if they were back in their living room. The Romerstrom Gladiators have been playing great basketball as of late riding a 6 game winning streak and have won 3 of the 6 in crunch-time showing they have nerves of steel when it counts most. Trier came to Frankfurt with Maik Zirbes who had played in Frankfurt more than a decade ago when he was playing in Bamberg and Frankfurt desperately needed a victory for their self esteem and not to drift away from the top spots. However they just couldn´t control the boards and match the high intensity of the guests at both ends as the guests came out with a big 84-77 win on the road. J.J. Mann (198-SF-1991, college: Belmont, agency: GoEmpire Group) was a menace as he set the tone on offense not just hitting shots, but spectacular shot after shot, but he also had his teammates who all came together and fought for each other. “We executed what we wanted to. Frankfurt has a great team, but we did a better job making our shots and they went more our way. Coach is big on defense which is one of our identities and our good rebounding was a plus. When you rebound well, you usually have a good chance to win”, stressed Virginia native J.J. Mann. The Fraport Skyliners had good stretches in the game at both ends, but overall couldn´t match the Trier physicality and string up a few key runs that could of changed the game in the second half. “We didn´t play a full 40 minutes. You need to do that against a strong veteran team like Trier. They hit many tough shots against good defense. We have to be able to play more complete”, warned ex Indiana State guard Cameron Henry.

Marco Voeller at the FT line

The Suwag Energie arena was sold out and the fans were offered basketball at a high intensity from the get go as the Romerstrom Gladiators Trier ran out on a rapid 4-0 lead as 5 time Iranian champion Behnam Yakhchali made a step back 20 footer and ex Euroleague player Maik Zirbes who won 14 titles in his career made an offensive rebound and put back. Frankfurt didn´t waste time and punched back with 4 unanswered points as ex Carleton guard Aiden Warnholtz made free throws and Minnesota native Booker Cooplin hit a shot from the mid range. Trier continued to get unending production from Yaktchali who snuck inside for an offensive rebound and put back and lay in. Unlike other games, Frankfurt wasn´t as predictable with their three pointer as they banged the ball inside more and were rewarded with 2 Lorenz Brenneke buckets and trailed only 13-10. But Frankfurt didn´t totally refrain from the long ball getting consecutive three´s from ex Oldenburg guard Kevin Mcclain and ex Schwenningen forward Jacob Knauf while Trier got solid energy from the bench from ex Valdosta State (NCAA) guard Clayton Guillozet with a three as the game was deadlocked 16-16. But the guests closed out the first quarter on a rush scoring 7 points to Frankfurt´s 2 points getting great help from their bench as ex Artland Dragon Marko Bacak made a lay in and ex Paderborn big Marten Linsen made a 15 footer while J.J. Mann made his first crazy shot of the game with a buzzer beater jumper from the corner for the 23-18 Trier lead. “I missed 2 easy pull up jumpers that I usually make and then I respond with a tough one. That’s just how it happens sometimes”, stressed J.J. Mann. The Romerstrom Gladiators Trier shot 50% from the field and 43% from outside and had 11 rebounds and 5 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 54% from the field and 30% from outside and had 4 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

Behnam Yakhchali off balance shot

In the second quarter the Romerstrom Gladiators Trier continued to keep the lead, but could never totally shake the Fraport Skyliners as they hung around. Trier got early production from their 2 best players on this day with Yaktchali who hit an off balance shot and Mann made a catch and pop jumper, while Frankfurt returned back to their sharp shooting ways executing getting baskets from Cameron Henry and ex TV Langen big Marco Voeller as Frankfurt trailed only 27-24. But Trier were simply cold as ice continuing to hit contested shots from all over as ex Sacramento State (NCAA) guard Marcus Graves connected on a trey from the top of the key and Guilozet scored off the glass. Here and there Frankfurt would get out on transition as Canadian David Muenkat scored, but all in all, Trier hustled all game displaying excellent transition defense as they led 32-27. Trier had the slim lead, because they were doing a little better job on the offensive glass getting more possessions. Frankfurt continued to stay with the long ball and didn´t execute allowing the guests to go on a 7-2 run to achieve their biggest lead of the game at 39-29 as Zirbes contributed 4 points and Guillozet supplied another trey. Aiden Warnholtz added a clutch trey, but as usual J.J. Mann had an answer and dropped another crazy shot with a line drive three from the corner for the 42-32 advantage. “That was a laser shot. I had to get that off quickly. Usually those will go in 2/10 times”, commented J.J. Mann. Ex Alba Berlin center Lorenz Brenneke closed out the first half with a pretty left handed hook shot, but Trier led 42-34. “We executed very well and played good defense. We rebounded better and were just more active than Frankfurt”, said J.J. Mann. The Romerstrom Gladiators Trier shot 33% from the field and 38% from the three point line and had 19 boards and 8 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot41% from the field and 33% from the three point line and had 14 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

David Muencat to the hole

In the third quarter, it rained three´s from both teams as combined they hit for 8 and Frankfurt trailed by only 4 points, but in the second half of the quarter, Frankfurt shut down offensively a bit and had to play catch up basketball again. Yakhchali and Voeller traded baskets to begin the third quarter and then came the rainfall of three´s as 5 were thrown back to back as Frankfurt got 2 from Warnholtz and one from Cooplin while Trier got three´s from Graves and Mann. Henry then added a runner and Frankfurt suddenly was down only 50-47. Frankfurt had a nice flow and were playing with a higher intensity and were more physical and seemed to be good for a run or not? Frankfurt continued to trade three point punches and remain on Trier´s heels as Cooplin dropped 2 three´s and Mann also scored as Frankfurt trailed only 57-53. Trier closed out the third quarter continuing to play their beautiful high energy game getting defensive stops while getting a lay in from Linson, pull up jumper from Mann and 2 baskets from Yakhchali to lead 65-54. Henry ended the third quarter with a timely trey, but Frankfurt trailed 65-57. “At the end of the day it is shot making that will win the game. We mixed up our defense with zone and man and got them off track. We never let down continued to play hard and rebound the ball well”, stated J.J. Mann. “They went to a half zone and we didn´t take enough time in our sets. We weren´t able to take care of the ball better”, stated Cameron Henry. The Romerstrom Gladiators Trier Shot 51% from the field and 62% from the parking lot and had 30 rebounds and 11 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 44% from the field and 42% from the parking lot and had 18 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

Maik Zirbes at the FT line

The Fraport Skyliners like at the start of the third quarter had a lightening start in the fourth quarter, but that was quickly washed away with a Trier run that would decide the game early. Frankfurt got an incredible burst of energy right of the bat from Marco Voeller who made a lay in and 2 steals which was followed by a Brenneke dunk cutting Trier´s lead to 65-61. The arena was loud and in Skyliner comeback mode, but then Trier just shifted a few gears up and just mowed down Frankfurt with a lethal 11-2 run to heighten their lead to 76-63. In the run the guests got 2 lay in´s from Zirbes, a lay in by Yakhchali, free throws by Graves and another crazy Mann off balance shot that had many thinking does this guy ever miss these type of shots? “I actually practice that shot. I shoot that because I have the confidence that it will go in”, warned J.J. Mann. The intensity level of Trier just remained high while Frankfurt´s shrunk more and more with every missed shot. Warnholtz stopped the run with a trey to trail 76-66, but Frankfurt couldn´t get defensive stops. Trier responded again with a massive Zirbes alley-oop dunk with the perfect Graves pass and Graves lay in for the 80-66 advantage. Frankfurt did amass a 5-0 run late with Cooplin and Brenneke baskets to trail 80-71, but Trier had done the most damage and time was running out. A Zirbes lay in and Mann free throws sealed the win in Frankfurt. “We never stopped in the fourth quarter, but just kept going. We just kept playing our game. That can get boring, but we stuck with it. We were like a clock work”, warned J.J. Mann. “They made the shots when they mattered. We got good looks. I tip my hat for them making tough shots. They had many offensive rebounds. When you get outrebounded, it gets hard to win”, stressed Cameron Henry. The Romerstrom Gladiators Trier were led by J.J. Mann with 21 points. Behnam Yakhchali and Maik Zirbes added 16 points a piece while Marcus Graves had a quiet but strong 12/9/8 game while the Fraport Skyliners were led by Aiden Warnholtz with 19 points and Booker Coplin added 14 points. The Romerstrom Gladiators shot 52% from the field and 36% from outside and had 39 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 45% from the field and 38% from outside and had 24 rebounds and 10 turnovers.