The up and down weeks of the Fraport Skyliners Juniors continue as last weekend they were routed in Fellbach after having won convincingly at home against Ehingen. Frankfurt just has problems putting it all together for 40 minutes as this time, they got hammered on the boards and shot a horrible 43% from the free throw line. Things didn´t get any easier in their living room as they welcomed 12-5 Basketball Lowen Erfurt who are led by their Mr everything Paul Albrecht who in the last 2 games was averaging 26,0ppg and 16,0rpg. Frankfurt had to be wide awake as they love to let the ball fly taking the third most three´s in the Pro B south and shoot the best percentage at 39%. The Basketball Lowen Erfurt came to Frankfurt motivated to keep their winning streak alive, but came across a Frankfurt team that was hungry for revenge and crushed them 87-57. It was one of those days where nothing went right for Erfurt, but Frankfurt also played their best game of the season at both ends of the court. “We were nothing short of terrible. We didn´t stick to our assignments on defense. Frankfurt was prepared not letting us play our fast paced game and forced us too to many turnovers. We weren´t allowed to play our style”, stressed CATL Basketball Lowen Erfurt guard Tyseem Lyles. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were potent on offense sharing the ball with ease and defensively controlled an offense that scored 84 points on average. “Today we showed a flash of our potential. We have had some rough games this season, but one thing we never do is get too high or too low. I feel like we had the winning mentality from the warmups until the end. We have had many games with different rosters, but tonight we showed that we can have a rhythm with each other. Our energy and communication was best on the defensive end”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Junior Trevian Bell (201-G/F, college: Lewis).

Jordan Samare at the FT line

The CATL Basketball Lowen had 60 fans make the trip to Frankfurt and they gave the biggest cheer in the introductions to Noah Kamdem who was back in action after being sidelined for a year with injury. The first minutes were high paced as both teams got up and down the floor. Erfurt caught Frankfurt napping in their first 2 scores as they got easy lay in´s from Lyles and German Lorenz Schiller under the Frankfurt basket off in bound passes. Frankfurt attacked the lane right off the bat getting easy scores from Germans Jordan Samare who has 17 BBL games on his resume and ex Vechta German Justin Onyejiaka as the game was tied 6-6. Lyles scored again with a finger tip role as Erfurt led 8-6, but that would be the last lead for them in the game. Frankfurt then displayed what they are capable of on offense as they went on a 11-1 run to lead 17-9. In the run they let the 3 ball fly as 2018 NBBL MVP Felix Hecker connected twice while Samare hit one and also made a lay in. Frankfurt had a groove on offense while Erfurt had problems with Frankfurt´s physicality and had problems on the boards with rebounds. Frankfurt continued to take advantage of their length getting 2 more buckets in the last minute from ex Trier forward Nils Leonhardt and ex Kronberg big man Florian Dietrich. Frankfurt led 22-12 after 10 minutes. “A big key going into this game was to be more physical. In some of our loses this season, we weren´t physical. We showed that when we turn up our physicality a notch, then we are a totally different team”, stated Illinois native Trevian Bell. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 42% form the field and 38% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 2 turnovers while the CATL Basketball Lowen Erfurt shot 36% from the field and 0% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 3 turnovers.

Tyseem Lyles from outside

In the second quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to control the game, but the CATL Basketball Lowen Erfurt began to hit better from outside, but just couldn´t go on a string of stops to get back into the game. Justin Onyejiaka got Frankfurt going with an offensive rebound and left handed lay in. Erfurt didn´t have luck with the 3 ball in the first quarter, so they tried to go inside and had fortune with the extra pass. Young German Friedrich Radefeld scored after getting an acrobatic pass from ex Itzehoe forward Alieu Ceesay as Frankfurt still led 25-16. Then came the mini explosion from team captain Alvin Onyia. He has been with the Pro B organization since 2018 and never averaged more than 4,0ppg in a season. This season he is having his best scoring season averaging 7,0ppg and in a span of 50 seconds scored 7 points with a runner, three pointer and lay in as Frankfurt led 32-19. “I always tell him in games to be confident. When he is confident, he will knock down shots. I think a reason for his production this season in comparison to the seasons before is that more guys are looking for him. We are better when he is making shots. He is always playing with high energy and when you do that good things happen”, stated Trevian Bell. Frankfurt was playing with high intensity at both ends and just showed their arsenal of offensive weapons that they can produce at anytime. Erfurt was playing sloppy at times not calming down in their sets. Erfurt then got into a three point groove as Ceesay and Schiller made three pointers as Frankfurt led 34-25. Frankfurt then got a 10 footer from Bell and Lyles answered with a lay in as Paul Albrecht made the pretty extra pass as Frankfurt led 38-27. Erfurt just couldn´t get over the hump and just had no answer for the depth of Frankfurt. 2017 JBBL (U-16) finalist Calvin Schaum nailed 2 three´s off the bench and Bell connected also from the parking lot as Frankfurt led comfortably 47-32 at the break. “They are a good team and at #2 for a reason. We were on the high end and let our foot a bit off the gas pedal. We did a good job not allowing them on a big run to get closer”, expressed Trevian Bell. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 45% from the field and 37% from the three point line and had 22 rebounds and 5 turnovers while the CATL Basketball Lowen Erfurt shot 41% from the field and 36% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 9 turnovers.

Justin Onyejiaka to the hoop

In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors stepped up their defensive intensity again and allowed only 12 points. Frankfurt pretty much decided the game in the first few minutes going on a 11-2 run to extend their lead to 58-34. In the run it was Trevian Bell who contributed 8 points including 2 three´s while Calvin Schaum made his third three of the game. Frankfurt did a great job not allowing Lyles or Albrecht any good looks. After 40 minutes, Albrecht only had taken 1 shot which is an incredible defensive performance. Albrecht would get to the free throw line and make some points, but he was no threat. Frankfurt continued to attack the paint getting easy baskets from Onyejiaka and Dietrich with a turn around shot for the 62-38 advantage. Kamdem who played in Frankfurt for 2 years answered with 2 buckets only to get punched back by Frankfurt´s lethal offense as Felix Hecker made a 25 footer and trey to close out the third quarter as Frankfurt led 66-44 after 30 minutes. “We knew that we had to contain Lyles and Albrecht well. Lyles is an elite scorer and when he has a clear view to the rim he´ll make it. You have to have full attention on him and I feel like all 5 guys on the floor did it at all times. We were more physical than Albrecht. You can´t let him get any looks and just made everything hard for him”, added Trevian Bell. “Frankfurt did a good job switching and packing the paint. When you don´t make shots then the defense looks good. We weren´t able to move the ball better”, commented Tyseem Lyles. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 42% from the field and 39% from the parking lot and had 34 rebounds and 6 turnovers while the CATL Basketball Lowen Erfurt shot 36% from the field and 24% from the parking lot and had 27 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

Paul Albrecht at the FT line

In the fourth quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to control the game and half way through the frame allowed some of their youth players get extra minutes. The CATL Basketball Lowen Erfurt got off strong going on a 7-1 run to begin the fourth quarter as Noah Kamdem who has a body like an offensive line man scored twice and German Jan Heber dropped a trey to cut Frankfurt´s lead down to 70-48. “Kamdem coming back from in jury was very important for us. I was so excited for him. He had 9 points in 12 minutes. That was a good comeback. Once he finds his rhythm, he will give the league problems”, stressed Tyseem Lyles. Frankfurt then slammed the door shut on the CATL Basketball Lowen Erfurt going on a 12-2 run to lead 80-50. In the run, it was mr reliable Trevian Bell who produced back to back three´s, Schaum made free throws, Ivan Crnjac and Florian Dietrich lay in´s. In the last minutes, Lyles finally made his first trey of the game and Leo Doering made a lay in. Ivan Crnjac followed with a three pointer and Lorenz Schiller closed out the Frankfurt massacre with a lay in. “We have been down 20 before and come back. I´m really proud how the team didn´t give up”, said Tyseem Lyles. “We didn´t finish strong against Ehingen. We were aware of it and didn´t want it to happen again. We remained aggressive until the end”, commented Trevian Bell. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Trevian Bell with 19 points. Felix Hecker added 12 points and Jordan samara 12 points and 10 rebounds while Erfurt was led by Alieu Ceesay with 12 points and Tyseem Lyles added 11 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 41% from the field and 41% from outside and had 44 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the CATL Basketball Lowen Erfurt shot 37% from the field and 24% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 19 turnovers.