With the Fiba Break over, the EPG Baskets Koblenz wanted to return after the 2 week break and continue their winning streak. The club won big games in Artland and upset top team Romerstrom Gladiators in their living room and of course wanted more with their next opponent Eisbaeren Bremerhaven. Bremerhaven have been the mystery and disappointment team of the season as their 11-12 record has surprised many since they have a very deep and talented roster. They had a very poor start losing 7 of their first 9 games, but have been playing better basketball as of late having won 5 of their last 7 games. Bremerhaven also wanted revenge after losing their first game of the season against the EPG Baskets Koblenz on their own home turf and got it grinding out an ugly 62-58 win in the living room of the EPG Baskets in a wild west show. This was one of those games that for some reason will be remembered for a long time simply because of how ugly it was. You had one team the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven who play like an NBA team with nonstop isolation and a Koblenz team that was back to their old ways of up and down basketball. At times this game looked like a crazy wild west show with little discipline and just sheer craziness. Any win on the road is big in the Pro A, and the Eisbaeren were happy to take it no matter how ugly it was. “I´m not going to say that we played good or bad, but simply that we stuck with it. It is really important in this league to keep your composure. It may have been ugly, but I´ll take an ugly win any day over a bad loss”, stressed Eisbaeren Bremerhaven forward Jordan Giles. Luckily for the EPG Baskets Koblenz, they only have 48 hours to digest the loss before the next road game against Kirchheim. “I felt that we played good defense. We didn´t always execute well on offense, but this was a real hard game. We didn´t get important rebounds when we needed them, but we gave all we had and fought until the end”, stressed EPG Baskets center Moses Poelking.

Moses Poelking at the FT line

The EPG baskets Koblenz had a terrible start in the first quarter, but then recovered well to trail only 19-14 after 10 minutes. Ex Sacramento State forward Nick Hornsby got the guests on the board first with a 20 footer, but that was rapidly equalized with a Leon Friederici pull up jumper. Then the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven got rolling and went on a lethal 10-0 run and stopped 7 Koblenz possessions. In the run, the guests got vital support from experienced Pro A big man Robert Oehle (209-C-1988) with 5 points while ex Citadel (NCAA) sniper Matt Frierson hit a trey and German Adrian Breitlauch made a lay in for the 12-2 lead. Bremerhaven sparkled with a lot of isolation play while the EPG Baskets Koblenz settled for quick offense, but shots just didn´t fall. Koblenz finally stopped the run with a key three pointer from ex Iserlohn center Gabriel De Olveira and Moses Poelking free throws to trail 14-5. Koblenz brought needed energy as captain Marvin Heckel made a lay in and Gabriel de Olveira was on spot again with a dunk on transition and three pointer to cut the lead down to 17-14. “Gabriel played very well. He made shots and reduced mistakes on the defensive end”, stressed EPG Baskets Koblenz sport director Thomas Klein. Icelandic forward Hilmar Henningsson closed out the first quarter with free throws as the guests led 19-14. “We had 6 weak minutes where we were unstable. We played well for 3 minutes with high tempo and good execution. We didn´t defend their cuts well and gave up too many offensive rebounds”, stated Thomas Klein.

Aaron Cook at the FT line

In the second quarter the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven kept the lead and were able to slow down a Koblenz run and go into half-time with the comfortable 8 point advantage. The EPG Baskets Koblenz got some needed energy from big men De Olveira with a lay in on transition and a dunk from Poelking, but they couldn´t close the gap as they couldn´t stop the 1-1 play by ex Georgia (NCAA) guard Aaron Cook who ripped 2 jumpers and the guests had the 25-18 lead. Koblenz kept chipping away as Heckel made a jumper and American Caleb Huffman a deep trey, but had no answer for ex Leverkusen American Nick Hornsby who made a tip in on the inbounds pass by Cook and then hit a trey and Oehle added a lay in for the 32-24 advantage. Both teams suffered defensive lapses as Koblenz climbed back with baskets inside by Germans Leo Saffer and Maurice Pluskota as there was light at the end of the tunnel again for the EPG Baskets as they trailed 31-29. But whenever Koblenz had some momentum, they caved in and allowed the guests to go into half-time with a 9-3 run and lead 40-32. In the run, Bremerhaven got a runner from Henningsson, Oehle lay in, Reischel free throws and a trey by 2018 NBBL champion Hendrik Drescher. “Drescher is a modern day big man. He is a BBL calibur player. It was a very undisciplined game from both teams. Whenever we came back, we couldn´t stay consistent. We were half-hearted on offense”, stated Thomas Klein.

Maurice Pluskota with the lay in

In the third quarter the EPG Baskets Koblenz continued to chip away and fight, but as usual were unable to get over the hump. Both teams had a wild start as bricks were being shot left and right, but after a few minutes the EPG Baskets Koblenz calmed down a bit and got some baskets from Pluskota with a lay in on transition and another trey by De Olveira to trail 43-39. Bremerhaven continued to play a lot of 1-1 and took crazy shots and just allowed Koblenz to stick around. Here and there, they made some tough shots as Frierson made an incredible catch and pop three from the corner to lead 46-39. The EPG Baskets Koblenz then went on a 9-3 run to trail only 49-48 with a minute remaining. In the run the EPG Baskets Koblenz got 5 points from Huffman and lay in´s by Saffer and De Olveira. Huffman also shined on the defensive end making a massive block on Henningsson. “That was a monster block. A BBL block”, said Thomas Klein. But once again Koblenz couldn´t close out the quarter strong and allowed a 6-2 run as Bremerhaven produced more isolation buckets as Giles made 2 turnaround shots and Reischel scored on transition. “We got some extra offensive rebounds and didn´t play our best defense, but found ways to get stops”, stated Jordan Giles. “We always knew that we were in the game. We just kept fighting and continued to paly aggressive defense”, stated Moses Poelking.

Hilmar Henningssoln with the lay in

The fourth quarter was a real grind out battle as only a total of 15 points were made. The EPG Baskets Koblenz made the first 3 points with a Huffman free throw and quick Dominique Johnson lay in to trail 55-53. Bremerhaven continued to play 1-1 and miss shot after shot as team basketball was as far away as the Fraport Skyliners were on that day of having any chance of winning in Trier, but Koblenz just couldn´t get over the hump or get a basket when they really needed it. Oehle then made a pretty old school hook shot for the 57-53. Even when Bremerhaven gave them gifts down the stretch, they couldn´t capitalize on it 100% and take the lead. Ohle and Cook missed free throws and De Olveira made a lay in and Huffman a deep three pointer to dead lock the contest at 57-57 with 1,27 to play. Cook then made 2 free throws with 38 seconds to play. Heckel then made 1 of 2 free throws to trail 59-58. The next gift of Bremerhaven came with 2 missed free throws by Hornsby, but then a turnover by Koblenz and 2 free throws by Hornsby and another turnover by Koblenz sealed the win for the Eisbaeren. “I think that both teams wanted it badly, but the way the game ended is how the ball bounces sometimes. We battled to the end and timely stops and free throws got us the win”, stated Jordan Giles. “We were behind all game and it was tough coming back. We began with low energy and never found the right energy”, stressed Caleb Huffman. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven were led by Robert Oehle with 16 points while Nick Hornsby added 10 points while the EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by Gabriel De Olveira with 17 points and Caleb Huffman added 13 points. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven shot 40% from the field and 11% from outside and had 39 rebounds and 15 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 40% from the field and 26% from outside and had 32 rebounds and 14 turnovers.