The up and down play of the Dragons Rhondorf continued as they returned home into their living room with a tough 89-74 loss in Westerstede. Once again, they didn´t shoot particulary well from down town and worse of all were clobbered on the offensive glass. They next faced the winless 0-6 TKS 49ers from Stahnsdorf. They were a team that had massive problems scoring the ball as they only averaged 63 points per game and allowed way too many with 88 points. This was a must win for the Dragons Rhondorf as they wanted to start another winning streak. On a very mild early November day, The 8th team Dragons Rhondorf faced #13 TKS 49ers and after 40 minutes, the Dragons learned that the game is never over until the fat lady sings and that buzzer sounds. The Dragons Rhondorf played a solid first half and led by 13 points, but in the second half the TKS 49ers turned the game around and lost the lead again in the fourth quarter, but pulled out the win in crunch-time 83-78. The team was led by versatile big man Leonard Hampl (202-C-2001) who had a 20/5/8 game and gave the Dragons problems all day long in the paint area with his physicality and body mass. But all in all it was a total team effort as the team wanted that first win of the season on the road. “Everyone played for each other. We fell apart the last 2 games for about 10 minutes, but today we put it all together for 40 minutes. We trusted each other, played good defense in the second half and hit shots. We played beautiful basketball at times and nobody gave up”, warned TKS 49er Leonard Hampl. The Dragons Rhondorf played a solid first half, but in the second half lost consistency and couldn´t cope with the 49ers zone and lost a game that they should of won. “I have to give them credit that they fought hard for 40 minutes, but if we would of played our game, then we would of won. We were up by 13 points at the break, but in the second half couldn´t play our systems the way we should of. We didn´t defend physically anymore in the second half. We rebounded very well for 40 minutes though”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf forward Duje Dujmovic.

Carl Peters from outside

Both teams found their offensive rhythm well in the first quarter as the TSK 49ers tried to find their big Leonard Hampl inside while the Dragons Rhondorf played inside out basketball getting a trey from Dujmovic and lay in from American Juhwan Harris-Dyson while the guests got 2 baskets in the pain from Hamplt, but the game was dead locked at 9-9. 16 year old German Dusan Ilic did a good job with the playmaking registering 3 assists early. The Dragons marched out on a 6-0 run getting a lay up from young German David Bonning and a 15 footer from the Spanish wizard Jorge Mejias to lead 15-9. But the TKS 49ers practiced the first run of the contest scoring 11 points and giving up only 4 to lead 20-19. In the run, it was 20 year old German Carl Peters who led the charge with 6 points being aggressive and attacking the rim scoring and making free throws. The Dragons Rhondorf forced a little too much and lost rhythm, but ended the first quarter with the lead of 21-20 as Mejias made a jumper. “The game was even, but it took us some time to get our rhythm. We went to zone and then found our flow on offense”, stated Leonard Hampl. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 46% from the field and 22% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the TKS 49ers shot 38% from the field and 0% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

Dusan Ilic at the FT line

The Dragons Rhondorf broke open the game in the second quarter as they finally found consistency with their outside shooting and led by 13 points at half-time. Both teams bigs with Benjamin Sadikovic who entered the game averaging 2 blocks per game made a lay in as did Hampl as the Dragons led 23-22. But then came the first turning point of the game as the Dragons Rhondorf marched out on a brutal 16-3 run to lead 39-25. In the run, the Dragoons shared the ball beautifully getting 3 three pointers from young German Fynn Dobiecki, Dujmovic and Mejias. Mejias and Dujmovic also added lay in´s as the TKS 49ers were quickly in the hole. Defensively the Dragons Rhondorf heightened their aggressiveness and had better 1-1 defense. Dragons head coach Max Becker didn´t shy from playing anyone as 10 guys had scored up to half time including 16 year Malik Idbihi who made his first Pro B points of his career under the watchful eyes of papa Yassin as Rhondorf led 41-32. “I was relieved that I made the basket, because I had missed the first one. I stayed with it. It was a cool feeling”, smiled Malik Idbihi. The Dragons Rhondorf kept up the pressure and kept scoring as Lagui Diallo gave his usual energy and efficiency from the bench with 5 points while Mejias also scored a lay in. But the TKS 49ers had many talented guys giving their 2 cents in the comeback and one of those was 24 year old Lukas Wagner who has more than 100 Pro B games on his resume scored 2 buckets at close range to keep the guests in the game, but they did trail 50-37 after 20 minutes. “We played zone and they found cracks and started making three´s. In basketball it can go quickly once you hit one three, more continue. We had some good looks on offense, but didn´t hit them”, commented Leonard Hampl. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 49% from the field and 30% from the three point line and had 28 rebounds and 10 turnovers while the TKS 49ers shot 32% from the field and still had the big goose egg from the three point line and had 16 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

Jeno Pildner at the FT line

In the third quarter, the TKS 49ers did the seemingly the impossible staging a massive comeback taking it step by step and having the 5 point lead after 30 minutes producing a brutal 31-13 scoring quarter. The TKS 49ers didn´t waste any time coming out of the break going on a rapid 6-2 run to trail 52-43. In the run, the guests continued to attack the rim getting lay in´s from ex Ehingen German Jeno Pildner, ex Olney Central College (JUCO) center Benjamin Faatz and Hampl. The Dragons Rhondorf continued to execute on offense and kept the double digit lead of 58-46 as Ilic and Mejias both hit floaters and Harris Dyson made a thunderous dunk on transition. But the game then suddenly swung in the direction of the guests as they shocked the Dragons Rhondorf with a lethal 23-5 run to lead 69-63 after 3 quarters. The 49ers didn´t have any luck with their outside shooting in the first half, but it then suddenly rained three´s as Lucas Wagner found his touch nailing 3 three´s after coming into the game shooting 33% from the parking lot while also adding a lay in and Carlo Meyer also connected from outside. The TKS 49ers were able to hold their intensity at both ends and the Dragons Rhondorf were unable to match it and had awful 1-1 defense. “At the break we asked ourselves who cares if were down by 13 points. We have to keep playing and we are good enough to come back. We trusted each other and played team basketball and our outside shots finally fell. We played good zone and rebounded better. We also stepped up our 1-1 defense”, warned Leonard Hampl. “They played very well. Hampl passed the ball well and we felt like we had to make floor smaller. That open up opportunities for their shooters. We didn´t respect their shooting and allowed them open looks”, expressed Duje Dujmovic. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 61% from the 2 point area and 27% from the parking lot and had n35 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the TKS 49ers shot 55% from the 2 point area and shot 25% from the parking lot and had 27 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

Juhwan Harris-Dyson with the lay in

In the fourth quarter the Dragons Rhondorf rallied back and regained the lead, but couldn´t hold it as the TKS 49ers snatched the lead back and would never lose it again. Pildner began the fourth quarter with a lay in getting the perfect back door pass from Hampl who dished out his 7th dime of the game. Hampl displayed excellent passing for the total 40 minutes and often made such risky passes, but they always reached it´s destination. He couldn´t explain after the game where he got his keen passing skills from. “I just like to pass the ball. I´m lucky to have shooters who can make shots and many create cuts making it easier for me. Passing is simply less stressful for me and that is why I like it”, smiled Leonard Hampl. After Ilic free throws, it was Lucas Wagner who made a lay up for the 73-65 49ers lead. There was still some life with the Dragons Rhondorf as they didn´t want to go out without a fight. They came together stringing along a timely 10-0 run to grab the lead back at 75-72. Dusan Ilic with his potent playmaking and Mejias scoring led the charge back upping the tempo as Mejias scored twice with his classic mid range game while Harris-Dyson scored inside and Sadikovic connected on free throws. But the game proved again that basketball will always be a game of runs and all it took was one more fierce punch and that came from the TKS 49ers who put a lid on the game with a 11-3 run to win the game. Wagner tied the game at 75-75 with free throws and then took the lead again with another Wagner trey 78-75. On defense, they somehow still had some kind of energy in their tank and gave that one last push on defense with aggressive on ball defense that stifled the Dragons to bad shots. Hampl added a trey for good measure, only his third attempt this season for the 81-75 lead as the Dragons were deep in the hole with 1,55 to play, but still only a 2 possession game. But the guests managed the time well and even if the Dragons trailed only 81-78 with 36 seconds to play, the 49ers made their best possession of the game on the last one taking 22 seconds off clock and Carl Peters hit the deadly 20 footer to seal the win. “We played crunch time really well. Our zone worked well and we rebounded well allowing no second chances. We really wanted the win and fought for each other until the buzzer sounded”, said Leonard Hampl. “They defended well and we didn´t get the looks that we wanted. We are a young team and will learn from this. We have to realize that we have to play until the end. A game has 40 minutes”, warned Duje Dujmovic. The TKS 49ers were led by Lukas Wagner with 22 points. Leonard Hampl added 20 points and Carlo Meyer 13 points while the Dragons Rhondorf were led by Jorge Mejias with 21 points and Dusan Ilic added 11 points. The TKS 49ers shot 41% from the field and 27% from outside and had 34 rebounds and 15 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 41% from the field and 27% from outside and had 48 rebounds and 18 turnovers.