The last weeks have been splendid for the Skyliners as they had been winning something very refreshing as in the last years, it was more losing. Currently they were riding a potent 5 game winning streak and had a solid 2-1 record in Eurocup play and were riding a 2 game winning streak in that competition. Their next Eurocup foe was Spanish ACB team La Laguna Tenerife that had a solid 3-1 record in the ACB in second place and were 2-1 in Eurocup action. They are an organization that played in the ACB from 1983-1991 and then left and returned back in 2010. They are a team that had some interesting players with ties to Germany with Tim Abromaitis and Aaron Dornekamp that had very special ties to the Skyliners as he won the Fiba Eurocup with Frankfurt a decade ago. They also had many other interesting players like former NBA players Marcelinho Huertas, Kyle Guy (188-SG-1997, college: Virginia) and Vincent Hunter. On a cool Autumn evening both clubs met in Frankfurt and fans saw a potent first half by the Skyliners and an even stronger second half by La Laguna Tenerife who exploded for 43 points in the third quarter snatching the lead back which set the foundation for the 104-94 Eurocup win. The guests from Span shot only 22% from outside at the break and had 5 turnovers and after 40 minutes finished at 39% and had 8 turnovers. “The summary of the game pretty much was our 10 minutes in the third quarter where we scored 43 points. We finally made shots and made hustle plays. I don´t ever remember scoring so many points in one quarter in my career”, smiled ex Braunschweig forward Tim Abromaitis. The Skyliners scored well for 40 minutes, but allowed more than double the points in the second half than what they allowed in the first half. “One good half and one bad half sums it up for us. We were the better team in the first half playing great team basketball. However in the second half, we really struggled with boxing out and defense”, stressed Skyliner German Radii Caisin. “They punched us first in the first half. We found our game in the second half. We shared the ball nicely and had 26 assists and 8 turnovers and forced turnovers. We haven´t really shot the ball well from outside this season, but tonight we did”, added ex Miami Heat Kyle Guy.

Ethan Happ at the FT line

Both teams began finding a good rhythm in the first possessions of the first quaretr as La Laguna Tenerife got consecutive three´s from sniper Kyle Guy while the Skyliners got a trey from ex Syracuse guard Judah Minitz and an offensive rebound and put back by ex Bonn forward Till Pape. However the Skyliners then went on a 10-2 run to lead 17-8. In the run, Frankfurt upped their defensive intensity and just played real physical which the guests couldn´t come to terms with leading to tough contested shots. The Skyliners shared the ball very well getting 5 points from ex Indiana University (NCAA) forward Race Thompson who sparkled with a massive dunk and trey while ex Syracuse guard Judah found his spots really well early hit a turnaround shot and ex Virginia Tech (NCAA) guard Nahiem Alleyne scored inside on the pretty back door pass from ex NBA player Ryan Archidiacono. The Skyliners stifled Tenerife with their potent on ball pressure and disrupted their pick and roll. The guests couldn´t muster much offense except free throws from ex Wisconsin (NCAA) forward Ethan Happ and a trey by ex Houston (NCAA) guard Wesley Van Beck. The Skyliners counted with a trey from ex St Louis (NCAA) guard Isaiah Swope and Mintz added a floater in the offensive attack as the Skyliners led 22-14 after 10 minutes. “The Skyliners came out more ready and were more physical than us”, said Tim Abromaitis. The Skyliners shot 50% from the 2 point area and 60% from outside and had 11 rebounds and 4 turnovers while La Laguna Tenerife shot 23% from the field and 27% from outside and had 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers.

Judah Mintz with the mid distance shot

In the second quarter both teams were able to generate runs, but the Skyliners were able to keep the comfortable 43-31 advantage at half-time. The Spanish side had the better start going on a quick 8-2 run to suddenly only trail 24-22. In the run the guests got more aggressive attacking the paint area and had more space to operate something they lacked in the first quarter. Hunter added 4 points with free throws and lay in´s while Kyle Guy scored back to back buckets again only this time both were on the drive. He was able to get to the rim so easily, because his speed was elite. Guy also delivered a sweet no look pass for Hunter´s lay in. Frankfurt let up a bit with their intensity, but woke up as they punched back with a lethal 17-3 run to gain the overwhelming 41-25 advantage. In the run, the German side were led by Judah Mintz who supplied 6 points as his aggressive offense punished the guests, while Till Pape added a trey and ex Chemnitz forward Roman Bedime and Alleyne scored baskets inside. The Skyliners were playing energetic team basketball while on defense remained aggressive and physical, but Tenerife did have some misfortune missing some open looks. The Skyliners couldn´t hold the momentum until the break as the Spanish side finished strong erasing some of the Skyliners big lead going on a 6-2 run to trail only by 12 points. In the run, Tenerife got 3 points from 216Cm ex Euroleague player Giorgi Shemadini and a trey from Uruguay guard Bruno Fitipaldo who is in his eight season with La Laguna Tenerife. “The second quarter was a game of runs. They continued to hit shots well and we didn´t rotate well on defense”, stated Tim Abromaitis. The Skyliners shot 55% from the 2 point area and 41% from the three point line and had 18 rebounds and 6 turnovers while La Laguna Tenerife shot 38% from the 2 point area and 22% from the three point line.

Till Pape at the FT line

The turning point of the game came in the third quarter as La Laguna Tenerife exploded for a crazy 43 points to lead 74-66. The guests punched Frankfurt first with a lethal 17-5 run to steal the lead back at 49-48. Kyle Guy was instrumental again in the run scoring 8 times as he dropped 2 three pointers and also added free throws. He finished the game as top scorer with 26 points and seems to really enjoy the Eurocup competition. “Every ball I shoot tends to be hit or miss. Airball or swish. I hit my shoots fairly well tonight, I like these rims. It was my night”, stated Kyle Guy. Abromaitis also connected on a trey and Hunter scored again in the paint. Tenerife also began to be more aggressive on the offensive glass getting an offensive rebound and put back from Van Beck while running on transition better getting baskets from Guy and Hunter as Tenerife led 55-54. Frankfurt got 3 points from Mintz and a trey from Thomas Klepeisz to stay close. The guests were defending a lot more aggressively and had an offense that worked like clock work and ball movement that was elite. The Spanish team upped their lead to 72-57 going on a 17-2 run. In the run, they received 7 points from ex NBA player Marcelino Huertas who added 7 points with a pull up jumper and trey after his shot hadn´t fallen in the first half. They also got a trey from Van Beck on transition, an offensive rebound and put back from Abromaitis and a trey from ex Unicaja Malaga guard Jamie Fernandez. However La Laguna Tenerife couldn´t keep the momentum until the buzzer allowing the Skyliners to come back on a 9-2 run to trail by 8 points. In the run, the Skyliners got ood production from race Thompson with 5 points and a lay in by Caisin and free throws by Mintz. Thompson seemed to be on a poster from a Tim Abromaitis dunk or wasn´t he? “That was my first dunk of the season. I don´t think he was on the poster. He was beside me. I´m more concerned about getting the 2 points than a poster”, commented Tim Abromaitis. “They began to hit shots better and we were always a step behind. Their off ball screen also worked better”, stressed Radii Caisin. “We came out with more physicality and with more intensity. We played with more purpose at both ends. We made the needed adjustments”, said Kyle Guy. “We hit our first shots and got more comfortable. We forced more turnovers and made easy baskets”, added Tim Abromaitis. La Laguna Tenerife shot shot 54% from the 2 poi t area and 34% from the parking lot and had 28 rebounds and 6 turnovers while the Skyliners shot 51% from the 2 point area and 47% from the parking lot and had 24 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

Kyle Guy from downtown

In the fourth quarter La Laguna Tenerife did a super job managing the lead and never allowed the Skyliners to lead by less than 6 points. La Laguna Tenerife were able to extend their lead to 84-69 with a rapid 10-3 run. Kyle Guy remained hot adding 5 points with a lay in and a tough off balance in your face trey of Race Thompson. “Any shot that I take, I have practiced before and I take each shot with the utmost confidence. I always stay level headed. I´m never to high or too low”, commented Kyle Guy. Hunter also added 5 points as Guy also found him once with a pretty no look pass. The Skyliners never gave up and bounced back with a 8-0 run as Bedime and ex Chemnitz guard Will Christmas added lay in´s and Swope hit a trey to trail 84-76. However La Laguna Tenerife always had an answer and just kept the offensive pressure on as ex easyCredit BBL player Tim Abromaitis hit consecutive three´s and Fernandez also added one as the guests led easily 95-81. Time was running down, but Mr Iso Iisaiah Swope gave some added hope for the Skyliners as he scored all points in the 8-3 run to trail 98-89. Swope made 3 free throws a lay in and a trey. After an offensive rebound and lay in by Hunter, Frankfurt countered with Klepeisz free throws and a Caisin lay in to trail only 100-94, but there was less than a minute to play. Tenerife closed out the game with a Van Beck lay in and Fernandez free throws. “We imposed our rhythm and didn´t play too fast. We hit open shots and played good defense until the end”, said Tim Abromaitis. “We never gave up. We played until the end giving 100% and did the best we could”, added Radii Caisin. La Laguna Tenerife were led by Kyle Guy with 26 points. Vincent Hunter added 21 points and Tim Abromaitis and Wesley Van Beck added 13 points a piece while the Skyliners were led by Judah Mintz with 20 points and Isaiah Swope added 15 points. La Laguna Tenerife shot 54% from the 2 point area and 39% from outside and had 36 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the Skyliners shot 51% from the 2 point area and 52% from outside and had 31 rebounds and 13 turnovers,