After only winning one game last season, the Fraport Skyliners U-19 youth team Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners had to battle in the B-group this season, but excelled and had a potent season and qualified themselves for the NBBL playoffs in the A group and the chance to earn a ticket to go to Berlin for the top 4 in May. However they had no easy match with the always ambitious and highly talented team of Kickz Ibam that have produced the highly touted Da Silva brothers Oscar and Tristan in the last years. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners had to battle them in a best of 3 series and didn´t have home court advantage. In game 1 in Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners had a tough time losing 83-63 and losing every quarter. They had a struggle on the boards and couldn´t contain their top scorer Matija Milosevic (193-G-2005) who dropped 29 points. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners came home and were facing a do or die game to live another day, but unfortunately for them their season ended in their own living room as they couldn´t force a second do or die game in Munich next weekend losing 79-73. It was a tough battle until the buzzer, but Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners just couldn´t contain team top player Milosevic as he nailed big shots nor solid playmaker Jonathan Zeisberger who also hit tough shots when his team needed it most. “We tried all we could to stop Milosevic and Zeisberger, but they hit countless difficult shots. As soon as Milosevic hit three´s from 8 meters, then I knew that we didn´t have the basketball God on our side. We fought hard, but too often made the wrong decisions, missed lay ups or free throws”, stressed Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners guard Dusan Nikolic. Kickz Ibam played a strong game and just stuck together even when Frankfurt had had the lead and in the second half took great care of the lead. “We gave all we could for 40 minutes. It was enough to win, but we have to improve. We did a good job on defensive pressure especially on Nikolic. We communicated well on defense and stayed together”, warned Kickz Ibam guard Matija Milosevic. Despite the season ending for Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners, Dusan Nikolic was proud of how the team performed this season. “We developed a fighting spirit this season and played as a team. We found our roles and each other”, stated Dusan Nikolic.

Marvin Esser reverse lay in

Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners were complete and ready to battle while Kickz Ibam were without solid role players Philipp Roos and Jordan Knacke. The first quarter was a tight affair as no team was able to escape on a run. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners got top scorer Dusan Nikolic involved early as he scored twice while the guests got big baskets early from German Jeremy Kolev and also from Silver Bieling and Zeisberger who hit tough shots from the get go and which would continue all afternoon long. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners was defending well, but sometimes there are just those days where an opponent is makingveryugh shot. But Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners had a solid rhythm on offense and got an early trey from universal genius Ivan Crnjac and as always great energy from the bench from German Joscha Zentgraf who made 2 baskets. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners was doing a good job on the offensive boards, but couldn´t slow down Milosevic who got going in the last minutes making a jumper and 4 free throws. German Leif Zentgraf gave Frankfurt big minutes late with 5 points, but Kickz Ibam led 20-19. “Milosevic is tough to guard. If you’re a split second too late, he will get past you. He may not be the most athletic, but he is a tremendous shooter”, warned Dusan Nikolic. Kickz Ibam shot 38% from the field and 20% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 4 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 50% from the field and 40% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

Caspar Okoro at the FT line

In the second quarter both teams had a run, but at the break it was Kickz Ibam that had the 39-33 lead. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners began the second quarter off with a bang exploding out on a 8-0 run to lead 27-20 as Ivan Crnjac connected with consecutive three´s and glue guy Marvin Esser made a massive dunk on transition off a Nikolic dunk. Frankfurt played with forceful energy and caught Kickz Ibam off guard and surprised them a little. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners defended aggressively and forced the guests to tough shots. But Kickz Ibam wasn´t totally rattled by Frankfurt´s outburst and punched back with a 7-0 run to dead lock the game at 27-27. In the run the guests got vital support from 206cm Nigerian center Williams Itumo who has only been in Germany for 2,5 years got 2 baskets and Kolev made a big trey. Kickz Ibam played super team basketball while Frankfurt weren´t calm on offense putting up some hurried shots. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners got the lead back at 32-29 as Jamie Edoka made a lay in and the game looked like it would stay close, but Kickz Ibam turned the game aground with a fierce 10-1 run to lead 39-33 at the break. Zeisberger supplied 6 points including 2 real tough off balance shots, while Bieling hit a jumper and Kolev made a lay in. Despite the deficit, Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners did a better job on Milosevic holding him to 2 points. “We continued to defend well, but just didn´t get rewarded on offense as we missed easy lay ups and missed free throws”, added Dusan Nikolic. Kickz Ibam shot 48% from the field and 25% from the three point line and had 14 rebounds and 8 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 35% from the field and 29% from the three point line and had 24 rebounds with the 13-3 offensive rebound edge and 10 turnovers.

Dusan Nikolic from outside

In the third quarter Kickz Ibam led by as much as 8 points, but couldn´t shake Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners totally allowing them to hang around leading only 56-52 after 30 minutes. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners got some valuable buckets in the first minutes by German Namori Omog and Ivan Crnjac, but couldn´t make any ground as Kickz Ibam got baskets from Zeisberger and Milosevic to lead 47-40. Kickz Ibam had to work for their points as Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued to play aggressive 1-1 defense, but still got little reward with too many missed free throws as after 30 minutes they had missed 8. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued to execute as Crnjac made a lay in, but were unable to make serious ground as Bieling made a tough trey over Edoka and Ognjen Cocic made a tip in as the guests were more aggressive on the offensive boards and led 52-44. Both teams continue to punch back and forth on offense as Nikolic who is always in attack mode scored 5 points to cut Kickz Ibam´s lead down to 52-49, but the guests reacted with good energy from the bench from Gunnar Wanninger who made a lay in which was followed by a Zeisberger lay in. Crnjac added a trey at the buzzer as Kickz Ibam led 56-52. “We made tough shots and trusted each other. We also did a better job on the offensive boards. When Frankfurt made tough shots, we didn´t hang our heads”, added Matija Milosevic. “Ibam got good support from the bench. Zeisberger had one kind of a performance. We continued to defend ok. They did a better job on the offensive boards”, stated Dusan Nikolic. Kickz Ibam shot 45% from the field and 29% from the parking lot and had 26 rebounds and 13 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 36% from the field and 30% from the parking lot and had 32 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

Matija Milosevic with the lay in

In the fourth quarter Kickz Ibam continued to control the game and despite Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners tying the game were unable to truly get over the hump and ever lead again. Kickz Ibam began strong getting a 4 point play by Silver Bieling to lead 60-52. However Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners then buckled down and allowed Dusan Nikolic to take over as he led his team on a ruthless 10-2 run to deadlock the contest at 62-62. In the run it was the pure Nikolic show as he rattled off 8 points including a pretty finger tip roll lay in and Marvin Esser scored on the fast break getting a beautiful shovel pass from Edoka. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners knew what was at stake and so did Nikolic who showed exactly to what he is capable off o offense. He finished the game with 25 points. “I think that my leadership grew this season and I kept the team together”, said Dusan Nikolic. His stellar play carried his team especially on the defensive end as Ibam made many turnovers. However Milosevic had seen enough of the Nikolic show and now even if he did hit 2 big three´s, it wasn´t just his show, but also that of Zeisberger who nailed a trey in the 8-2 run and 70-64 guests advantage. “Zeisberger is a good player and currently in top form. He is always aggressive and does exactly what coach says. He made many tough shots like I did. He watches me in practice”, smiled Matija Milosevic. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued to fight getting a Leif Zentgraf lay in to trail 70-67, but Kickz Ibam had an answer for all as Zeisberger made a floater which was matched by Nikolic free throws to trail only 72-69 with 1,08 to play. But Kickz Ibam then decided the game with a 7-0 run as Milosevic dropped another pretty three pointer and Zeisberger added free throws for the 79-70 advantage. “I practice hard every day to be able to make these shots. I believe 100% in my shot”, warned Matija Milosevic. Nikolic closed out the game with 3 free throws, but the season of Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners had ended. “We didn´t play good defense at the end and that is why the game was so close. We believed that we could win the game and made the tough shots”, warned Matija Milosevic. “Milosevic´s and Zeisberger´s three´s hurt us. We had too many turnovers. Every possession is important and we didn´t take care of the ball”, stressed Dusan Nikolic. Kickz Ibam was led by Matija Milosevic with 22 points. Jonathan Zeisberger added 21 points and Silver Bieling 14 points while Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners was led by Dusan Nikolic with 25 points. Ivan Crnjac added 20 points. Kickz Ibam shot 45% from the field and 36% from outside and had 34 rebounds and 17 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 38% from the field and 24% from outside and had 41 rebounds and 15 turnovers.