It wasn´t a great 2025-2026 season for the Skyliners Juniors as they finished the year in last place with a record of 3-10. They came into the new year with a lousy 5 game losing streak. They reacted by bringing in American rookie Desmond Watson (196-G-2003, college: Loyola, IL), a big guard that did his share of winning in the NCAA with Loyola Chicago and ex Pro A player Moses Poelking. The Skyliners Juniors had scoring punch, but it didn´t hurt to get some extra stability on the court. They faced the rising TV Langen that came to Frankfurt having won 4 of their last 5 games. TV Langen had defeated Frankfurt in Langen in the first game 70-61. The Skyliners Juniors obviously were hungry for revenge to start the new year off on the right foot. It was the home coming of ex Skyliners youth player Alexander Lagerman who played there a few years ago before departing for Schwenningen and Rhondorf as well as Drago Crnjac who wanted to keep his winning streak alive against brother Ivan who was 2-0 against him going in. The first game of 2026 for both teams was a close battle for the most part, but in crunch-time a deadly 21-0 run led by rookie and new Skyliner Desmond Watson sealed the 90-81 victory for the Skyliners Juniors. “We played really well as a team. We fought the whole game and never gave up. Every possession mattered for us. I have only been here 2 weeks, but the team is young, but has a real good chemistry”, stressed Ohio native Desmond Watson. TV Langen played a great game and controlled the game for long spans, but couldn´t finish the job falling apart in the last minutes. “We played so well for 35 minutes, but then to give it away really hurts. We defended so well for the longest time and then to fall apart at the end with giving up open three´s and dunks was unacceptable”, stressed TV Langen guard Drago Crnjac.

Lukas Smazak from outside

Basketball City Mainhatten was packed as many TV Langen fans made the 23 kilometer ride to Frankfurt to support their team. The Skyliners Juniors had a lightening start, but TV Langen finally found their rhythm and led by 4 points after 10 minutes as 46 points were scored. Frankfurt began furiously leading 9-2 as new Skyliner Desmond Watson wás instantly aggressive nailing a trey while German Jamie Edoka added 6 points including a trey. Frankfurt was playing at a high intensity while being very physical something that TV Langen couldn´t match and most importantly were able to play their game which is fast. However TV Langen finally found their rhythm and before Frankfurt knew what had hit them, TV Langen had gone on a 19-5 run to lead 21-14. TV Langen let it rain three´s as their team basketball was refreshing. They spread the love around getting three´s from rookie California native Jacob Washington with two while Drago Crnjac hit one as did ex Skyliner Niklas Pons. The heart and soul of TV Langen Henk Droste also scored twice on transition. TV Langen heightened their intensity and were able to execute in the set play as well as get out on transition while on defense flying around the court and forcing steals and getting in passing lanes well. Young Czech Republic guard Lukas Smazak added a trey as did Niklas Pons as TV Langen led 25-21 after one quarter. “I was surprised it was so high scoring. Both teams were playing unorthodox which led to more scoring than usual”, stressed Drago Crnjac. TV Langen shot 47% from the field and 56% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 2 turnovers while the Skyliners Juniors shot 47% from the field and 40% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

Leon Fertig at the FT line

The second quarter remained tight as the Skyliners Juniors attempted to get away at the start, but TV Langen were able to punch back and the game was dead locked at 41-41 at the break. TV Langen began with a swift 4-0 run to lead 29-21 as German 3×3 world champion Leon Fertig made an off balance shot and Drago Crnjac made a lay in. Frankfurt was forcing too much and just weren´t calm. Frankfurt wasn´t rattled by this lightening start as they calmed down and shot back with a 10-0 run to dead lock the game at 31-31. Ex Kronberg center Florian Dietrich was on fire scoring 3 times as he wanted to show that bringing in ex Pro A center Moses Poelking wasn´t about to hinder his game. He was aggressive and used his big body well getting easy buckets. Edoka also made a pretty floater, but the play of the game was the incredible flashy alley-oop dunk from Ivan the universal dimension Crnjac. He got a pretty pass from American Desmond Watson who made the perfect feed for the thunderous dunk. “I saw Watson pass the ball over my head and I turned my head and saw my brother in the air. I just thought look out. It was a great dunk maybe the best in his career”, stated Drago Crnjac. “I saw him running to the basket. He put his hand up. I was able to make the pass for him. We never practiced this”, stated Desmond Watson. Alex Lagerman then made a lay in while Ivan Crnjac remained hot netting a trey for the 34-33 Frankfurt lead. Lagerman continued to be in attack mode and would score 2 more lay in´s including a very acrobatic one for the 39-36 advantage. Frankfurt got a basket from Poelking to trail 39-38. Frankfurt continued to battle back and tied the game with a thunderous Dusan Nikolic dunk on transition as half-time arrived. “Both teams executed well on offense and got out on transition”, commented Drago Crnjac. TV Langen shot 46% from the field and 38% from the three point line and had 17 rebounds and 7 turnovers while the Skyliners Juniors shot 45% from the field and 26% from the three point line and had 22 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

Dusan Nikolic with the dunk

In the third quarter TV Langen got the lead and led by as much as 6 points, but could never shake the Skyliners Juniors as they actually regained the lead by 1 point after 30 minutes. TV Langen got a big trey by Leo Fertig and continued to attack the rim well getting lay in´s from Pons and Lagerman while Frankfurt rallied getting baskets from Dietrich and Watson, but trailed 50-45. Henk Droste continued to be his versatile self, but had that one extra special dimension and that was taking charges. He took 2 in this span which resulted in 2 Frankfurt turnovers. Whenever TV Langen tried to get away, Ivan Crnjac came to the rescue with a trey as Frankfurt trailed 50-48. But TV Langen always had an answer as Fertig and Washington had lay in´s while Droste had his 3rd charge of the game and TV Langen led 54-48. But Ivan Crnjac continued to make clutch baskets as he dropped another trey to trail 54-50. TV Langen continued to get easy baskets as Lagerman and Pons scored on the drive for the 58-53 advantage, but Frankfurt also always produced an answer as Ivan Crnjac made an offensive rebound and put back and Leif Zentgraf nailed a key trey to tie the game at 58-58. It continued to go back and forth as Drago Crnjac and Smazak traded three´s to tie the game at 61-61. Edoka countered with a trey and Fertig with his typical off balance shot as TV Langen trailed 64-63 after three quarters. “Both teams continued to execute well. It was tough getting stops”, said Desmond Watson. “Our weaknesses began to come. Our intensity went down, we had too many turnovers and didn´t rebound well”, said Drago Crnjac. The Skyliners Juniors shot 44” from the field and 30% from the parking lot and had 36 rebounds and 16 turnovers and TV Langen shot 47% from the field and 37% from the parking lot and had 25 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

Jacob Washington from the parking lot

In the fourth quarter TV Langen came out hot and it seemed like they would ride home with the win, but as always basketball will always remain a game of runs as the Skyliners Juniors punched last with a massive run to win their first game in 2026. TV Langen slapped Frankfurt around in the first minutes with an annoying 13-3 run to lead 75-67. TV Langen continued to attack the weak Skyliners Juniors 1-1 defense as Drago Crnjac scored twice on the drive as did Pons and Washington. Frankfurt was erratic in this run not being able to run and didn´t move the ball well. But out of seemingly nothing, the Skyliners Juniors then totally turned the game around with a massive 21-0 run to steal the lead back at 88-75. Instrumental in the run was Desmond Watson who exploded scoring 12 of the first 15 points of the run playing more like a veteran than a rookie and showing he can score in massive bunches. He nailed 2 three´s, a mid distance jumper and hard dunk finishing with 29 points in his debut. “It was my first game in 6-7 months. I felt good, but a little tired at times. I was just happy I could play”, smiled Desmond Watson. Ivan Crnjac added extra insurance in the run with 5 points. Henk Droste stopped the run with a trey, but it was too little too late. After Alvin Onyia free throws, Drago Crnjac ended the game with a three pointer. “We played as a team in the run and stuck together. We heightened our intensity on defense and that sparked our offense”, expressed Desmond Watson. “We played bad defense and had horrible decisions at both ends of the court. We also had bad communication and they punished every mistake we did”, stated Drago Crnjac. The Skyliners Juniors were led by Desmond Watson with 29 points. Ivan Crnjac added 19 points and Jamie Edoka had 11 points while TV Langen was led by Drago Crnjac and Alexander Lagerman with 15 points a piece while Niklas Pons had 14 points. The Skyliners Juniors shot 44% from the field and 31% from outside and had 48 rebounds and 19 turnovers while TV Langen shot 48% from the field and 38% from outside and had 32 rebounds and 14 turnovers.