With the down stretch of the easyCredit BBl regular season in full swing, the Frankfurt Skyliners had had a positive stretch having it´s third two game winning streak of the season beating Oldenburg and Bonn. They have secured next season now, but with 7 games remaining, the club wanted to continue their win streak and increase their momentum and self-connfidence with every new success experience. However 3 days before easter Sunday, they didn´t have their work cut out for themselves as they had to deal with the Rostock Seawolves who have been a surprise team this season currently having realistic chances of reaching the playoffs. Rostock also had some momentum coming to Frankfurt riding a 3 game winning streak including having beaten top team ratiopharm Ulm. However Rostock wasn´t about to underestimate the weaker team in the standings. “Both have new teams and both have had runs. We can´t underestimate them only because they are lower in the standings. We will come in motivated. We need the win. The team that wants it more will win”, warned Oshane Drews. On a mild Thursday evening, 2,400 fans showed up to support their team and saw an old fashioned defensive battle that the Frankfurt Skyliners should have won in regular time, but instead allowed Rostock to take into overtime where they played like a playoff team upending Frankfurt 77-72. “We played a good first half, but we let them dictate the game in the second half. This is a game that we should of won. I thought that overall we moved the ball well where we all got our touches and got to our spots. We defended well, but just came up a bit short at the end”, commented Danish league champion Malik Parsons. The Rostock Seawolves didn´t always play their best basketball, but they never gave up, and when it counted most, they played like a playoff team. “This was a tough game that was kind of ugly. However despite that, we struck through it. We are a great group that always stuck together and stayed positive from the start until the end”, stressed Rostock Seawolf guard Bryce Hamilton (193-G-2000, college: UNLV).

Jordan Theodore at the FT line

The Rostock Seawolves didn´t waste anytime, but jumped all over Frankfurt quickly taking the 8-3 lead as they let the three ball take over as ex Bamberg Guard Elias Baggete and ex Texas State (NCAA) forward Nijal Pearson connected while the latter also made a lay in. Rostock defended aggressively taking away the paint area, but they did allow a trey to ex G-League player Marcus Domask. Rostock then lost some offensive rhythm as they made a few bad decisions that led to an explosive 8-0 run by ex Euroleague player Jordan Theodore who connected on consecutive three´s as Frankfurt suddenly led 11-8. However the game proved to be a back and forth game of runs as now Rostock punched back with a 8-1 run as there was nothing happening inside and they executed with 2 clutch three´s by ex Bellarmine (NCAA2) forward Pedro Bradshaw and ex VCU (NCAA) guard JeQuan Lewis for the 16-12 advantage. Rostock got their fifth foul early and Frankfurt took advantage with free throws from ex Alba Berlin center Lorenz Brenneke and Alaska native Kamaka Hepa and a lay in by Parsons to dead lock the game at 16-16. Lewis had the last laugh nailing a 20 footer for the 18-16 first quarter lead. The Rostock Seawolves shot 35% from the field and 36% from outside and had 11 rebounds and 3 turnovers while Frankfurt shot 31% from the field and 43% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 1 turnover. “We didn´t play our best basketball in the first quarter. We had to find a way to win and took pride in our defense”, stated Bryce Hamilton.

Philipp Hartwich lay in

In the second quarter the Frankfurt played their best defense of the game allowing only 9 points and taking the 32-27 advantage into half-time. Pearson began the second quarter with a 20 footer step back jumper for the 20-16 Rostock advantage. However Frankfurt then went on a lethal 9-0 run to lead 25-20 with only 4,54 minutes to play. In the run Frankfurt executed their offense well scoring inside 3 times as Domask made a 10 foot turn around shot as his posting up was giving Rostock fit all night longs, Theodore made an off balance shot and Canadian David Muenkat made the extra effort with a tip in. Hepa drilled home a three pointer for good measure. Frankfurt stepped up their defense adding more pressure on the guards and stacking the paint area while on offense took good care of the ball. Bradshaw finally stopped the run with a trey as Rostock trailed 25-23. Frankfurt continued to control the game and went on a 7-2 run to extend their lead to 32-25. In the run, the Skyliners played positive inside out ball as Hepa connected on another trey and Parsons scored twice as stopping him in the iso was very difficult. Rostock got a late lay in by German big man Philipp Hartwich as Rostock went into the locker room with the 5 point disadvantage. “Frankfurt stepped up their defense and were playing very well. They were very physical and were switching a lot. We couldn´t adjust in this quarter”, said Bryce Hamilton. The Frankfurt Skyliners shot 34% from the field and 38% from the three point line and had 20 rebounds and 4 turnovers while the Rostock Seawolves shot 29% from the field and 26% from the three point line and had 24 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

Malik Parsons from outside

In the third quarter the Rostock Seawolves rebounded and played their best defensive quarter allowing 10 points and stealing back the lead and leading 44-42 after 30 minutes. Frankfurt began sharp getting a Muenkat steal that led to a Jordan Theodore lay in and 34-27 lead. However Rostock was awake and punched back on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 34-34. In the run they got a reverse lay up by ex Florida State University (NCAA) forward Malik Osborne, free throws by Pearson and another clutch trey by Baggette on transition as he was all alone. Pearson was huge in the run as he was also being a spark plug on defense registering a block. “Pearson is so important for us. He does a lot of the little things that you don´t always see on the stat sheet and more. He defends 1-4 and is great for us. He steps up for us at both ends”, stated Bryce Hamilton. Domask and Baggette then traded baskets to dead lock the contest at 36-36. Hamilton then gave Rostock a big spark scoring 4 points in a row for the 40-36 lead. His lay in at the 4,48 minute mark was his first points in the game as he had been held at 0/4 at the break. Frankfurt still had energy going on a 5-0 run to lead 42-40 as ex PS Karlsruhe guard Garai Zeeb nailed a massive trey and Domask made another one of his patent turn around shots. However Rostock punched back one more time getting a Osborne lay in and then a Pearson lay in off a Bradshaw steal. “It was a good old fashioned defensive battle. We could of rebounded the ball better. We gave up too many second chance points. It was like a brawl with both teams battling”, expressed Malik Parsons. The Rostock Seawolves shot 32% from the field and 25% from the parking lot and had 36 rebounds and 10 turnovers while the Frankfurt Skyliners shot 30% from the field and 30% from the parking lot and had 30 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

Lorenz Brenneke blocks Elias Baggette

The fourth quarter had 6 lead changes before Frankfurt seemed to take over getting the lead, but they couldn´t hold it as Rostock rebounded taking the game into overtime. Parsons tied the game with a lay in only to see Hartwich make free throws for the 46-44 lead. Domask then was total clutch displaying his unique 3 level scoring qualities giving Frankfurt the lead back twice with three pointers for 50-48. However the Seawolves always had an answer as Osborne nailed a trey for the 53-50 advantage. Frankfurt then seemed to get some momentum heading into crunch-time with a timely 7-0 run as Domask hit a tough turn around shot over Pearson, Parsons made free throws and Zeeb made another clutch three pointer that got the full approvel by Jordan Theodore who threw him the winner smile as Frankfurt led 57-53 with 3,55 to play. However Frankfurt just couldn´t slam the door shut on Rostock allowing a brutal 4-0 run as Hamilton was ice cold with a 20 footer and Osborne was a menace inside with a lay in to tie the game at 57-57 with a little more than a minute to play. Parsons then took over making a lay in and free throw to lead 60-57 with 59 seconds to play. Hamilton had an answer with 47 seconds with a lay in as Frankfurt led 60-59. Parsons made a clutch shot clock buzzer beater off balance shot for the 62-59 advantage with 21 seconds to play. However on Rostocks last possession, Malik Osborne hit an off balance trey from the corner at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. “Everything went wrong at the end for us. They got key rebounds and then that three gave them the momentum going into OT”, added Garai Zeeb. “We knew we had enough time at the end. That was a big shot by Osborne. That shot kept us being focused going into OT”, stated Bryce Hamilton. The Rostock Seawolves punched first in OT and Frankfurt couldn´t recover as Rostock won the game. Rostock began the overtime period with a shocking 8-0 run to lead 70-62 and keep the momentum from the Osborne trey at the end of the fourth quarter. In the run, the Seawolves spread around the offense well getting a pretty Hamilton spin move turn around shot, Osborne dunk on transition off a Lewis steal and a trey by Bradshaw. Rostock got 4 clutch stops as Frankfurt couldn´t come to terms with Rostock´s aggressive defense. Frankfurt didn´t give up and executed well getting a Parsons lay in and Hepa trey, but Rostock always had an answer as they got free throws from Lewis, Hamilton and Bradshaw. To keep the lead at 75-69. Hepa made another trey late to trail 75-72, but Lewis sealed the win with 2 last free throws. “I think that the Osborne three pointer at the end of the fourth already broke their backs, but our 8-0 run to start hurt them as well. We played like a playoff team in OT. We took pride on defense and helped each other”, stressed Bryce Hamilton. “It was tough to stay focused after that Osborne three pointer to bring the game to OT. We fought to the end. We have to win the game in regular time. We played well for 39 minutes”, said Garai Zeeb. The Rostock Seawolves were led by Malik Osborne with 17 points and 14 rebounds while Bryce Hamilton added 16 points, 6 rebound and 5 assists while the Frankfurt Skyliners were led by Malik Parsons with 19 points and Marcus Domask had 18 points. The Rostock Seawolves shot 33% form the field and 25% from outside and had 54 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the Frankfurt Skyliners shot 36% from the field and 37% from outside and had 44 rebounds and 13 turnovers.