The Dragons Rhondorf had to go the distance against the Seawolves Academy, but at home won 2 convincing games and now had a serious showdown against fellow ambitious team the SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt. This is a team that has had the goal of moving up for years and this season could make it become reality. The guests like Rhondorf are a lethal scoring machine, but this club may just have a little more depth that could help them get over the hump in a series like this. The positive aspect for the Dragons Rhondorf was that they did have the home court advantage and wanted to get off on the right foot at home so they could have a match ball in game 2 on the road. The Dragons Rhondorf entered the contest with a lot of self confidence after destroying Rostock in a do or die series while the SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt also were sky high with confidence after sweeping Erfurt. In game 1 of the quarterfinals, there would be no dominant team, but 2 teams that would battle from start to finish, with the only difference that Wolmirstedt had to play catch up basketball for the majority of the night. In crunch-time, it was a massive Avery Sullivan block that lifted the Dragons Rhondorf past the SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt 82-79. “We knew that they would try to be aggressive. We did a good job sticking to our game plan and executing. We played fast for a good majority and lean on our defense to carry us to the win”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf center Avery Sullivan. The SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt were right there in crunch-time and in the end too many missed free throws and easy lay up misses cost them the game. “We killed ourselves on turnovers. We rebounded well, but still it´s tough when you give the opponent so many extra possessions. We did a good job holding them under 90 points. We just missed some big shots at the end”, stressed SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt American Chris Rollins.

Maxi Begue at the FT line

The SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt jumped all over Rhondorf in the first few minutes taking a rapid 6-0 lead as Mr walking bucket Bill Borkambi made a put back, ex Skyliner Maxi Begue a dunk and Spanish forward Diamond Onwuka a lay in. Rhondorf began a bit hectic while the guests were calmer and had good ball movement. Rhondorf struck back with a 5-1 run as Texas native Avery Sullivan connected on a trey and Las Vegas native Kelvin Omojola made a lay in as the Dragons Trailed 7-5. The back and forth runs continued as Borekambi was aggressive and played his mid range game nailing 2 buckets for the 11-5 advantage. Rhondorf once again struck back with the next run as young German Janne Muller scored twice and ex Alba Berlin guard Badu Buck made a lay in as the game was dead locked at 16-16. Both teams didn´t rely to heavily on the three ball as they were more comfortable attacking the paint area. The Dragons Rhondorf punched back one more time with a 10-4 run to lead 26-20 after 10 minutes. Rhondorf got good support from their bench as Jekabs Beck and Marko Rosic scored while Blunt was in aggressive attack mode like usual making a lay in and then a pretty off balance three pointer at the buzzer. “I felt like we played good solid team defense. That Blunt shot had a little of Dame Lillard. His shot making ability is some of the best that I have seen. It´s always great when you have a guy like Tyreese that can bail you out at the end of the shot clock”, warned Avery Sullivan. The two stats that really stuck out after one quarter was the 9-4 rebound edge of the guests and their 6 turnovers compared to the Dragons 2 turnovers.

Jekabs Beck jumper

After low scoring in the first few minutes, the second quarter then once again turned into a trade of runs as the Dragons Rhondorf had the tight 4 point lead at the break. Matej Silic lifted the Dragons Rhondorf on a 5-0 run for the 31-20 advantage. Silic has been an energy spark all season from the bench and showed it at both ends with a lay in and then a steal and fast break basket. However then seemingly out of nothing the Dragons Rhondorf had their weakest phase of the game allowing a 8-2 run and getting stopped 6 consecutive times including coughing up the ball 3 times in a row. The guests didn´t have superb execution, but did good enough to trail only 33-30 with vital baskets from Modestas Paulauskas and Chris Rollins. They probably would of taken the lead had Bill Borekambi been in the game at that point. Wolmirtsedt had upped their defensive intensity not allowing Rhondorf to get into their sets and didn´t let them play fast. In the last minutes there were 3 runs started by Rhondorf´s 6-0 run which had baskets from Buck, Blunt and Sullivan for the 42-35 lead. The SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt matched that with a 7-0 run as Lennart Winter added 5 points and Begue a lay in to tie the contest at 42-42. The Dragons Rhondorf ended the second quarter with a 4-0 run as Ferenc Gille and Beck made lay in´s. “We knew that this game would be no cake walk. Both teams traded runs. We just kept pushing and played good team defense”, stated Avery Sullivan. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 64% from the field and 40% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 10 turnovers while the SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt shot 56% from the field and 67% from outside and had 17 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

Diamond Onwuka lay in

In the third quarter the Dragons Rhondorf continued to have the lead and every time they made a little push, the guests were able to come back and only trail by a little margin. Rhondorf got good support early from Badu Buck who drained a three pointer and made a lay in. Rhondorf had done a good job not overdoing it with the three point shooting, but really selecting good three point opportunities. The guests stayed with the Dragons getting a timely trey from Onwuka and a lay in by Borekambi to trail 53-51. Marko Rosic was inserted and gave instant energy with a three pointer and lay in for the 58-51 lead. Rhondorf held the lead, but could never break away as ex BBL player Martin Bogdanov and Winter scored as the Dragons only led 60-57. The guests had some real misfortune when Diamond Umwuka got hos finger balled out. He had to leave the game. Young German center Fabien Kondo scored back to back baskets as did Tyreese Blunt (191-PG-2002) as the Dragons Rhondorf had the slim 67-61 advantage after 3 quarters. “When Umwuka went down, we huddled together. We knew that they would come back aggressive. We locked down on defense and didn´t let them punch us back in the mouth. Marko Rosic gave us needed energy and was just fearless”, stressed Avery Sullivan. “We couldn´t get over the hump. I thought that we played pretty good 1-1 defense”, stated Chris Rollins. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 56% from the field and 40% from the three point line and had 20 rebounds and 13 turnovers while the SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt shot 49% from the field and 50% from the three point line and had 29 rebounds and 16 turnovers.

Kelvin Omojola at the FT line

In the fourth quarter the Dragons Rhondorf stayed in command, but never led by more than 6 points as they always had the guests in their rear view mirror. Winter who played a strong game began the fourth quarter with a lay in to trail Rhondorf 67-63. Whenever Wolmirstedt struck, the Dragons had an answer as Beck made a lay in and Sullivan a rare three point bank shot for the 71-65 advantage. Rhondorf executed well on offense getting a 20 footer from Janne Muller which was answered with a Marc Friederici lay in and 73-71 Rhondorf lead. Ex Drake (NCAA) guard Antonio Pilipovic and Winter traded baskets, but the Dragons still led 75-73. Friederici answered with a three point bomb as Wolmirstedt was breathing down the Dragons neck trailing only 77-76. Game 1 was a total grind out playoff battle with 2 teams trading punches and really just one big play to possibly decide the game. Pilipovic then buried a key three pointer as Tyreese Blunt made the incredible pass over a double team under the basket somehow finding him. “Tyreese is a little player making big plays. That was an amazing pass a little like Doncic”, smiled Avery Sullivan. The guests didn´t back down as Paulauskas answered with a clutch trey to trail Rhondorf 80-79 with under a minute to play. Then came the deciding play of the game as Avery Sullivan made the monster block on Begue. Omojola and Beck sealed the win with free throws. “They were driving the ball a lot. I saw Begue cutting in and I just timed it perfectly going up and blocking him. We had perfect defensive execution””, stated Avery Sullivan. “Sullivan´s block killed us. But that’s basketball. That was a nice play. It was tough missing the free throws at the end, but they also made big shots”, answered Chris Rollins. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Tyreese Blunt with 17 points while Badu Buck and Janne Muller added 11 points a piece while the SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt were led by Bill Borekambi with 15 points while Lennard Winter had 13 points. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 51% from the field and 31% from outside and had 28 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt shot 47% from the field and 47% from outside43 rebounds and 20 turnovers.