The up down weeks of the Dragons Rhondorf continued the last weeks as couldn´t seem to find some stability. They were 1-3 coming into the game with Schwelm and had a 3 game losing streak where their defense continued to get pounded having allowed 96 points on average in that down slide. They desperately needed a win in their living room for the fight towards the playoff spots. The EN Baskets Schwelm hadn´t been playing their best basketball as of late having lost 4 of their last 5 games, but they had begun a winning streak last weekend beating Neustadt at home and wanted to continue it in Rhondorf and did having a big defensive second half allowing only 29 points and winning 81-73 for their second win in a row and sweeping the season series. “It was a roller coaster game with ups and downs. It was a physical game, but we did a good job sticking through adversary and sticking together as a team and getting the win. We did a good job sharing the ball and defensively did a good job making it uncomfortable for them on offense”, stressed EN Baskets Schwelm forward Zyon Patterson (201-SF-2000, college: HSU). The Dragons Rhondorf played a potent first half, but in the second half couldn´t muster the kind of offense they wanted to and turned the ball over too much not allowing them to get over the hump. “We played well in the first half, but when you play against a top team every mistake counts. They stopped our transition well in the second half. They rotated well on defense and played good team defense and took away our advantages”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf guard Juhwan Harris-Dyson.

Erik Nyberg at the FT line

The Dragons Rhondorf continued to be without giant Daniel Mayr while the EN Baskets Schwelm were without guard Marc Klepser. The guests from Schwelm began well taking the 7-2 lead as ex Neustadt German Yascal Knoerig made a lay in, Arkansas native Zyon Patterson hit a trey and French big man Arthur Noba made a lay in. Rhondorf hit back with a trey from Kenan Reinhart, but Patterson who compares his game to Toronto Raptor Brandon Ingram responded with another trey for the 10-5 Schwelm lead. Schwelm continued to execute well getting a lay in from Patterson and a baby hook shot from German Fabian Reichstadt to lead 14-10. The zone gave the Dragons problems as they would have difficulty adjusting all night long. Harris-Dyson kept the Dragons in the game with his defensive energy and basket on transition and offensive rebound and put back. Both teams had difficulty taking care of the ball as Schwelm would produce an uncharachteristic 6 turnovers in the first 10 minutes as their game average was 13,9 coming into the game. The EN Baskets Schwelm also got total trust from head coach Falk Moeller as he used his whole bench and got a big trey from Reichstadt and Henning Gustrau made a lay in at the buzzer for the 21-13 advantage after one quarter. “We started the game right. We played with a high defensive intensity and shared the ball very well helping us get a good lead”, stressed Zyon Patterson. The EN Baskets Schwelm shot 53% from the field and 75% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 6 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 33% from the field and 29% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

David Bonning at the FT line

In the second quarter the Dragons Rhondorf had their strongest offensive quarter exploding for 31 points, but they still trailed 45-44 at the break. The EN Baskets Schwelm began well again and continued to get big support from their bench as Gustrau scored 3 baskets helping the guests lead 27-17. Rhondorf had problems dealing with the Schwelm match up zone and then were hit by a trey by 2017 NBBL champion with FC Bayern Munich Robert Merz. However the Dragons Rhondorf faced adversary and had an answer going on a lethal 10-0 run to suddenly only trail 30-27. Instrumental in the run were back to back three´s by Spanish U-18 Euro Gold medalist Jorge Mejias. Reinhart also added free throws and Harris-Dyson came up in the clutch with a trey. The 2 Dragons leaders Mejias stepped up on offense while Harris-Dyson on defense while the team stepped it up with very aggressive on ball defense. Both teams now began trading baskets as their offenses were on fire. Merz was a real deadly scoring option adding 5 points including a three pointer while the Dragons continued to get great production from Harris-Dyson with a lay in and thunderous dunk, but Rhondorf still trailed 37-34. The tide then turned a bit as Noba suffered a technical foul. That led to a Harris-Dyson offensive rebound and put back for the first Dragons lead of the game at 38-37. However the Dragons couldn´t hold the lead into the break as Schwelm had too many weapons. Ex Itehoe guard Erik Nyberg who has 200 plus Pro B games experience showed his scoring qualities adding 7 points and putting his team back over the hump with the 1 point lead at half-time. “Our bench did a great job giving us support and just doing what they need to do. We had a lot more turnovers and allowed them to play fast. We couldn´t play our game”, said Zyon Patterson. The EN Baskets Schwelm shot 56% from the field and 60% from the three point line and had 16 rebounds and 13 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 50% from the field and 42% from the three point line and had 16 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

Henning Gustrau with the lay in

In the third quarter there were 2 runs from each team and then 5 minutes of bricks falling as no team could execute and the EN Baskets Schwelm still led comfortable 62-54 after 30 minutes. “We didn´t play well in the second quarter and wanted to find that intensity from the first quarter again”, stressed Zyon Patterson. That is exactly what the guests did setting the tone and going on a rapid 11-2 run to extend their lead to 54-46. In the run the guests were sparked by their top players Patterson with 4 points and Merz continued to be a thorn in the Dragons side with 5 points. Ex Ulm guard Marius Stoll who played 7 Eurocup games also added a lay in. The heightened aggressive defense by the EN Baskets Schwelm stifled Rhondorf and forced them to added turnovers. However basketball wouldn´t be basketball without runs and that is exactly how the Dragons with 8 unanswered points to trail 56-54. In the run, the Dragons banged the ball inside and were rewarded with 2 Benjamin Sadikoviic buckets while Reinhart supplied a trey. The game was close again and then began the brick party. The guests only mustered 6 points while their aggressive defense stopped the Dragons for over 5 minutes not allowing any points. It also didn´t help the Dragons come back attempt as Germans Carlo Schmid and David Bonning both missed 2 free throws a piece. After 30 minutes the Dragons Rhondorf were still in the game, but trailed 62-54. “There were a lot of bricks. It was very physical and a cut throat game. We struggled on offense, but played great defense”, warned Zyon Patterson. “We got good looks in that span at the end, but just missed. This happens. We played pretty good defense, but we just couldn´t execute better on offense”, stated Juhwan Harris-Dyson. The EN Baskets Schwelm shot 51% from the field and 47% from the parking lot and had 29 rebounds and 17 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 38% from the field and 25% from the parking lot and had 30 rebounds and 14 turnovers.

Dusan Ilic to the hole

The EN Baskets Schwelm managed the lead well for the most part of the fourth quarter and even a 10-0 run from Rhondorf to end the game couldn´t get them over the hump. The great Schwelm bench was at it again at the start as German Fabian Reichstadt showed his big value at both ends dropping a clutch trey and then making 2 big back to back blocks as the guests led 65-54. “Fabian set the tone. He is more a quiet dude, but showed some arrogance in that phase. He told me in the fourth quarter that he had picked something up from my swagger and he really fed off my energy”, smiled Zyon Patterson. Patterson would add a lay in and the Dragons got a lay in from Sadidkovic and another trey from Reinhardt, but still trailed 69-59. The EN Baskets Schwelm were defending with an immense high intensity as the Dragons had to work hard for absolute everything. That showed in the 12-4 run by Schwelm as that put them in the drivers seat leading 81-63 and they would never look back. In the Schwelm run, they were led by Reichstadt who continued to be a leading player instead of only a role player adding 7 points while Stoll added a trey and Patterson a trey. Patterson wasn´t done there as he added a massive alley op dunk. “That was a fun one. That was the first pass from Robert Merz this season on the alley-op. It was a nice dunk, but I prefer dunking over people”, laughed Zyon Patterson. The game was decided, but at least, it didn´t get any worse for the Dragons. They closed out the game strong with a 10-0 run. In the run they got baskets from Sadikovic and Schmid while Reinhart added free throws. Harris-Dyson also added 4 points including his second big dunk of the game. “It was a nice dunk. I saw some open space. I just wanted to get another. They executed well to get a bigger lead. Our run at the end gives us hope. We just have to keep building on our fundamentals that we set each week”, warned Juhwan Harris-Dyson. “We stuck through adversary and stuck together as a team”, warned Zyon Patterson. The EN Baskets Schwelm were led by Zyon Patterson with 22 points while Fabian Reichstadt added 14 points and Robert Merz 13 points while the Dragons Rhondorf were led by Juhwan Harris-Dyson with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Kenan Reinhardt added 15 points and Benjamin Sadikovic had 13 points. The EN Baskets Schwelm shot 49% from the field and 48% from outside and had 40 rebounds and 22 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 40% from the field and 26% from outside and had 39 rebounds and 17 turnovers.