The road to the start of the 2025-2026 Pro B season continues for the Dragons Rhondorf as they continue to test all they can to be ready for the new season. The club continues to showcase good performances were 3-0 having beaten Pro B teams Frankfurt, Neustadt and Rist Wedel. The club has demonstrated early on that the new coach Max Becker and his young team are on the same page defensively. The next test was against Luxemburg team Racing that moved up to the first division from the second division. It was the first test for the ex Pro A team in their living room Dragon Dome and 100 fans came out in support to see an interesting pre season duel as the Dragons Rhondorf survived a late scare by Racing Luxemburg to win 83-80. Racing Luxemburg did a great job reaching the free throw line 42 times, but missed 21 shots which severely hindered their chances to win while the Dragons Rhondorf secured 57 rebounds and were a real force with 24 offensive rebounds and played an overall superb team game having 5 guys in double figures led by Mr microwave Kenan Reinhart who led his team with 17 points. “I feel like we only played our real game for 10-20 minutes. Our focus was gone at the end. Even if our rebounding was a problem at the start, we came back and rebounded well. We were able to win this game through individual qualities”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf guard Kenan Reinhart. Racing Luxemburg had to overcome double figure leads by the Dragons Rhondorf, but never gave up and were in it until the end. They most likely would have won had they been able to connect better from the free throw line. “I love how we fought today. We were down in the third and fourth quarters, but always found an answer and came back. I´m proud of every player. We even had a chance at the end. We missed too many free throws and gave up too many offensive rebounds. All in all, it was a fun game”, stressed Racing Luxemburg forward Antonio Bivins.

Luis Soragha to the rim

The Dragons Rhondorf did get the lead 1-0 with a Daniel Mayr free throw, but Racing Luxemburg suddenly came to life taking the 8-3 lead as Miami native American Antonio walking bucket Bivins who once had a monster 52/24 game in Luxemburg scored 3 of the 4 baskets with all lay in´s as he displayed sheer athleticism. Rhondorf had problems with offensive execution and 1-1 defense, but slowly came out of their funk getting lay in´s by ex Iserlohn guard Jorge Mejias and Reinhart to trail 8-7. However Racing Luxemburg who were led by Bivins energy continued to carry the team with another lay while Steven Lanners who has played a decade with the team scored lay in´s for the 15-10 advantage. However the Dragons Rhondorf dead locked the game at 15-15 with an off balance runner by Dusan Ilic and a three pointer by Lagui Diallo. However Racing Luxemburg continued to be in scoring mood as they got a trey by Croatian guard Emmanuel Loncaric and a lay in by Colorado native Brendan Temple to lead 22-17 after 10 minutes. “We had a bad start. We showed little energy and focus. We didn´t make open looks early, but found our rhythm better late in the quarter and got back into the game”, stated Kenan Reinhart. Racing Luxemburg shot 42% from the field and 29% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 2 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 33% from the field and 10% from outside and had 16 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

Dusan Ilic at the FT line

In the second quarter Racing Luxemburg got away early from the Dragons Rhondorf and led by 9 points, but the Dragons Rhondorf battled back and had the 38-37 lead at half-time. Racing Luxemburg took off on a 6-2 run to lead 27-19 thanks to 4 points by versatile center Brendan Temple who displayed a beautiful bag of left hand, right hand, runners and floaters in his game. But Rhondorf did a good job using their height as ex Oberaching center Benjamin Sadikovic and young German Carlo Schmid scored on the pick and roll as Rhondorf trailed only 32-25. However Racing Luxemburg continued to keep up the pressure getting a lay in by Luis Soragha who is playing his 13th season with the team to lead 35-27. But the Dragons Rhondorf staged a late second quarter come back going on a 11-2 run to totally turn around the game and lead by 1 point after 2 quarters. In the run, the Dragons Rhondorf were led by California native and Swiss army knife Juhwan Harris Dyson with 3 buckets on the drive and including one on transition. Defensively the Dragons held the paint area with force with Daniel Mayr and Sadikovic. The Dragons Rhondorf also did a great job limiting Bivins with points from the field who had massive problems at the free throw line going 0/6 at half-time and was 4/15 for the game. “This had to be my worst game ever from the free throw line. I just didn´t feel comfortable with the ball in my hands. I will continue to attack and just need to make my free throws”, warned Antonio Bivins. “It was an up and down quarter for us. We were more aggressive getting to the rim and rebounded better. We also held Bivins better in check”, stated Kenan Reinhart. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 32% from the field and 6% from the three point line and had 34 rebounds and 9 turnovers while Racing Luxemburg shot 36% from the field and 13% from the three point line and had 21 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

Juhwan Harris Dyson form downtown

In the third quarter the Dragons Rhondorf took control of the game with a big run and led 69-56 after 30 minutes. Mayr began with free throws and then Harris Dyson and Bivins traded buckets as the Dragons Rhondorf had the slim 42-39 advantage. Back in the 80´d Detroit Piston Vinnie Johnson showed his microwave moments heating up and in Rhondoerf, they have their own microwave with Kenan Reinhart who led the Dragons Rhondorf on a 12-4 run as he scored 10 points in the run. “I wasn´t shooting well up to that point, but I just kept shooting. That really helped my self confidence”, said Kenan Reinhart. He made 2 lay up´s and nailed 2 three´s as well. Rhondorf did a good job during this run keeping the guests away from the free throw line. Racing Luxemburg kept fighting led by Bivins who continued to be a beast in the paint getting 2 buckets, but Rhondorf still led 57-48. The Reinhart push really carried his team as they continued to execute well as Ilic made a lay in on transition and trey while Diallo also made a three pointer as Racing Luxemburg trailed 66-49. The defensive intensity by the Dragons Rhondorf was really strong in the third quarter and the bigs continued to be a wall for Racing Luxemburg. Benjamin Sadikovic made a lay in at the buzzer to close out the third quarter. “We took the momentum for the second quarter. My shots gave the team motivation. We also were able to play our game in this phase as well”, added Kenan Reinhart. “They found the open man and we scrambled on defense. But we never put our heads down and kept fighting and trying to come back”, said Antonio Bivins. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 40% from the field and 20% from the parking lot and had 50 rebounds and 16 turnovers while Racing Luxemburg shot 33% from the field and 17% from the parking lot and had 29 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

Antonio Bivins at the FT line

In the fourth quarter Racing Luxemburg came back, but couldn´t get over the hump as the free throw line once again let them down. Mejias began the fourth quarter with a pull up jumper, but Racing Luxemburg then staged a brutal 12-0 run to trail only 71-68. In the run the guests got key support from Temple who added 6 points including a pretty left handed hook shot, but the bench also stepped up as Johan Bouttet hit a three pointer as did Angelo Caruso. Bivins also got into the action with a lay in. The Dragons Rhondorf lost their intensity while the guests stepped up their energy a few levels and played with emotion. ”I think with Schmid getting hurt may have brought us out of our rhythm. We did a good job stopping their bigs, but weren´t ready for Lanners”, said Kenan Reinhart. The Dragons Rhondorf held on to the lead, but couldn´t shake Racing Luxemburg. The Dragons went inside again something that helped them in other phases of the game. Giant Daniel Mayr added 6 points including a three pointer and led 79-71 with a few minutes to play. But Racing Luxemburg had found a way to come back all game long and did it again adding more intensity on defense and got 2 clutch three from sniper veteran Steve Lanners to trail only 79-77. “I love him. He is a great shooter and guy. We have so much confidence in him”, stressed Antonio Bivins. Reinhart then stroked home a trey and Mejias added a free throw, but Lanners wasn´t done yet as he nailed another trey to trail only 83-80 with less than a minute to play. Temple made a steal on Mejias which led to Lanners being fouled at the free throw line. He missed all 3. Game over. “We won´t win games if we miss so many free throws”, stated Antonio Bivins. “I remember asking Sadikovic why did you foul him. He will make them all. I was very surprised he missed all 3”, added Kenan Reinhart. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Kenan Reinhart with 17 points. Lagui Diallo added 12 points while Racing Luxemburg were led by Antonio Bivins with 24 points and Brendan Temple had 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 39% from the field and 22% from outside and had 57 rebounds and 21 turnovers while Racing Luxemburg shot 37% from the field and 28% from outside and had 40 rebounds and 16 turnovers.