What does a Team do after one of their most bitter loses of the last 3 years? Well just wipe away the tears and frustration and get back on the court. Just how much pain a guy like the heart and soul of the EPG Baskets Koblenz Marvin heckle had to endure in the 2 crushing loses to the Fraport Skyliners this season is something that is very difficult to comprehend, but the team didn´t have any time to ponder, but get back on the saddle in their beautiful CGM living room for their next opponent Giessen who were sitting in 5th place. They like Frankfurt have also had a strong season taking a 13-8 record to Koblenz and had enjoyed a 3 game winning streak. The EPG Koblenz who took a totally different mentality to Frankfurt under new head coach Marco Van Den Berg and possibly played their best game of the season had to take that same focus again against a always pesky team with Giessen. On a untypical mild February night, the EPG Baskets Koblenz were unable to match the furious intensity that they displayed in Frankfurt and had to play catch up all night long after a disastrous first quarter losing 91-76 to the JobStairs Giessen 46ers. “We played at only 50% of the intensity that we showed in Frankfurt. I think that the quick turnaround also effected us. They just wanted it more than us. They did a good job taking away our inside game and we couldn´t adjust”, stressed EPG Baskets Koblenz guard Ryan Richmond. Giessen came out prepared and played a solid game for 40 minutes sharing the ball well and stuck to their defensive principles and never allowed Koblenz too get over the hump. “Our defense was the difference tonight. Our goal was to keep Koblenz under 80 points. We had problems limiting the offensive rebound in the first half, but did a lot better job in the second half”, stressed JobStairs Giessen 46er Stefan Fundic (200-F-1994).

Gabril De Oliveira from outside

The EPG Baskets Koblenz threw the first offensive punch with a pretty Richmond jumper, but that didn´t rattle Giessen in the least as they responded with a lethal 9-0 run to lead 9-2. In the run the guests got a trey from ex German national player Robin Benzing, 2 free throws by ex Texas A&M guard Duane Wilson and 2 back to back back door scores by ex Braunschweig German Luis Figge. Giessen played beautiful team basketball and just made smart plays while Koblenz lacked communication on defense and lacked intensity on offense and were timid. Basketball will always be a game of runs as Koblenz roared back on a 8-3 run to trail 12-10. In the run the heart and soul of the EPG Baskets Marvin Heckel delivered 2 three´s and German Maurice Pluskota made a lay in. But Koblenz couldn´t take advantage of their run as they suffered their usual in game down phases as they allowed a 15-4 run to trail 27-14 after 10 minutes. In the run, Giessen received key input from Stefan Fundic who supplied 5 points including a three pointer. He isn´t really known for being a 3 point shooter, but he came into the game on a hot streak having shot 4/7 from downtown. Giessen let it rain three´s getting one from Wilson and one from German big man Jonathan Maier who took his first of the season. “Koblenz tried to paly hedge defense so we answered with the back door cuts. We were prepared and adjusted well whenever we had to”, stated Stefan Fundic. “We didn´t defend well and had no body language. We had nothing close to the intensity that we had in Frankfurt. That quarter was hard to digest”, said EPG Baskets Koblenz sport director Thomas Klein.

Jonathan Maier at the FT line

The EPG Baskets Koblenz picked up their game in the second quarter, but couldn´t stay consistent as they let up a bit in the last minutes and trailed 45-36. Koblenz began well going on a 5-0 run as German Leo Saffer took his momentum from the end of the first quarter where he scored into quarter 2 with an offensive rebound and put back and ex Bonn center Gabriel De Oliveira hit a three pointer to trail 27-19. Koblenz got good energy from their bench as Americans Trey Hall and Caleb Huffman scored, but they couldn´t make any ground as 9 year Pro A veteran Jonathan Maier continued to be a force on the glass scoring twice giving Giessen the 34-23 advantage. The EPG Baskets Koblenz had more intensity and attacked the lane more and crashed the boards better. Koblenz continued to fight and made a 9-0 run to trail Giessen only 34-32. Ex BBL player Leon Friederici was a spark plug from the bench nailing a catch and pop jumper and a floater while Hall made a lay in and free throw. “We were more dynamic and more aggressive. Giessen wasn´t able to get to the rim easily, but we were still 30% below the intensity of Frankfurt”, stressed Thomas Klein. Once again Koblenz was unable to remain consistent and suffered another lull in their play relinquishing a 11-4 run to trail 45-36 at half time. In the run, the guests got important lay in´s from Fundic and Wilson and Maier once again hurt Koblenz with his seemingly new born inside out game hitting a trey and making a tip in. “Our defense was better, but our offense had no flow and was static. We were unable to create good ball movement”, said Thomas Klein. “Maier was amazing tonight. Whenever he gets more minutes, he is able to heighten his game. I think he is one of the best German big men in the Pro A”, commented Stefan Fundic.

Leon Friederici with the floater

The JobStairs Giessen 46ers continued to play solid basketball and didn´t allow any big Koblenz run and hampered them from getting over the hump. Here and there, Koblenz would go on mini runs, but Giessen always had an answer. Giessen got on the board first as ex Stony Brook (NCAA) forward Roland Nyama connected on a jumper to lead 47-36. Koblenz had problems on the free throw line as German big man Moses Poelking missed 2 and later in the quarter would miss 2 again, but at least their 3 was falling as Hall and Friederici hit back to back three´s as Giessen led only 47-42. “When you play agile and dynamic, good things happen”, stressed Thomas Klein. But the up and down play of Koblenz resurfaced again and bit them in the butt as Giessen served up a 7-0 run to lead 54-42. Koblenz was just too harmless on defense allowing easy baskets right and left as Fundic made a step back jumper, Maier a jumper and Wilson a trey. It also didn´t help Koblenz as captain Marvin Heckel left the game because of injury. Friederici and Hall made consecutive three´s to trail Giessen 54-48, but Koblenz just couldn´t buy any stops on defense. Figge and Fundic scored again upping Giessen´s advantage to 62-52. Both teams continued to score as De Oliveria and Huffman scored, but Giessen had answers with Dejan Kovacevic and Simon Krajcovic free throws and a Robin Benzing trey to lead 69-56 after three quarters. Fundic continued to be a severe menace for Koblenz with his scoring game especially scoring in different ways. “I felt good coming in. My shots had been falling the last games. Everyone trusts each other to take shots. I have played in higher leagues and played against more skilled and athletic players which forced me to learn to find different ways of scoring”, explained Stefan Fundic. “Fundic is a very unique player. He is undersized and he forces the defense to play honestly. His teammates fed him well”, stated Ryan Richmond.

Luis Figge from outside

In the fourth quarter the JobStairs Giessen 46ers continued to execute well at both ends and just finished the game strong while the EPG Baskets Koblenz executed well on offense, but defensively just lacked that extra will to want to stop their opponent. In the first few minutes, Richmond who had been limited to 4 points in the first 30 minutes scored twice as did Stefan Fundic who was a one man wrecking crew who really scored from anywhere on the floor as Giessen led 75-62. The EPG Baskets Koblenz attempted one more comeback as they cut the Giessen lead down to 9 points. Friederici was aggressive getting to the free throw line twice and extra aggressive Trey Hall who won a JUCO title hit a trey to trail 78-69. But Giessen slammed the door shut on Koblenz with a 8-2 run to decide the game 86-71. Fundic and Krajcovic sealed the win with three´s as at the end of the day they had made a respectable 12 three´s. De Oliveira finished the game strong with 5 points while little used German Luca Kahl made a three pointer and Wilson made free throws to close out the game. “We knew that Koblenz would try to play fast in the last quarter. We slowed down the game and brought the points home”, said Stefan Fundic. “We couldn´t get stops. We had no communication and Giessen did a good job exposing our weaknesses. They made tough shots and played good pick and roll”, stated Ryan Richmond. The Giessen 46ers had 6 guys in double figures as Stefan Fundic had 21 points. Jonathan Maier and Duane Wilson added 14 points a piece while the EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by Leon Friederici with 17 points and Trey Hall added 14 points. The JobStairs Giessen 46ers shot 53% from the field and 55% from outside and had 27 rebounds and 10 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 50% from the field and 40% from outside and had 34 rebounds and 18 turnovers.