After the EPG Baskets Koblenz celebrated their best Pro A start in their brief Pro A history winning 3 of their first 4 games, the club has hit rock bottom in the last few weeks riding a 3 game losing streak. The club lost positive rookie point guard Tyren Moore for the season and their replacement Frankie Collins didn´t survive the try out phase. After the tough 107-86 road loss to BG Goettingen, the team needed to produce a positive answer again in their living room. However basketball timing wasn´t great as their next opponent were the top team in the league with the Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights who already had great team chemistry despite having 8 new faces. The EPG Baskets were like a wounded animal and had nothing to lose. On a cool Monday evening and all of German Pro A watching, The Kresibau Kirchheim Knights played a solid game first half as the EPG Baskets Koblenz held firm trailing only by a bucket at the break, but in the second half demonstrated how to manage the lead in pretty fashion as they strolled to the 92-81 victory led by Desmond Watson (196-G-2003, college: Loyola, IL)´s lethal 29 point game. “We take each opponent tough. We came out slow, but did a good job regrouping and in the end got the win. We remain undefeated and we are so confident as a team. I don´t see us losing to anybody. We play every game like it´s our last”, warned Kreisbau Kirchheim Knight guard Desmond Watson. The EPG Baskets Koblenz played a good game without a true point guard, without Jannis Sonnefeld and without Stephan Dohrn in the second half, but just couldn´t get over the hump in the second half. “This loss really hurts. I can´t believe coach got ejected. That was insane. We did a good job playing in the flow the whole game. We played hard against the number one team. I think that we can really build off this loss and will be ready against Bochum”, warned EPG Baskets Koblenz guard Chase Johnson.

Mason Kraus at the FT line

The EPG Baskets Koblenz came out strong in their living room ready for a fight as they took the quick 12-6 lead. It helped that their three point shooting was popping at the start as ex Dartmouth (NCAA) guard Jayden Williams and ex Santa Clara (NCAA) center Camaron Tongue connected while Romanian national player Dragos Diculescu made an offensive rebound and put back while Canadian Mason Kraus and ex Leverkusen center Ferenc Gille made free throws. Kirchheim came into the game allowing only 11 turnovers per game, but Koblenz´s aggressive defense forced them early on to some turnovers. However Kirchheim found better to an offensive flow getting a 20 footer and dunk from Ohio native Desmond Watson and a trey from ex Jena forward Julius Wolf. The Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights got some steals which led to transition baskets and the game was dead locked at 12-12. Kirchheim was making good decisions and scoring very well in the zone. The game remained tight until the end of the first quarter as Koblenz got a trey from Diculescu and 2 baskets from Chase the Machine Johnson, but Kirchheim was more aggressive on the boards and got offensive rebounds and put backs from ex Dresden forward Lukas Zerner and ex Ludwigsburg guard Johannes Patrick. Patrick also added a turn around shot right before the buzzer sounded for the 28-26 Kirchheim advantage after 10 minutes. “We did a good job matching their physicality and also defended the first pass well. We did give up a few offensive rebounds though”, stressed sport director Thomas Klein. The Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights shot 82% from the two point range and 17% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 3 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 43% from the two point area and 57% from outside and had 4 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

CJ Hines from outside

In the second quarter the EPG Baskets Koblenz got the lead back and led for the most part, but lost it at the end to trail 47-45 at the break. The Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights began with a quick 3 point play as ex ratiopharm Ulm forward Christoph Phillips made a lay in and free throw for the 31-26 advantage. However the EPG Baskets Koblenz punched back and strolled out on a lethal 10-2 run to take the 36-33 lead. Koblenz continued to defend well forcing a few more turnovers and forcing the guests to tough shots, while continuing to attack the paint area with authority as Camaron Tongue led the charge with 6 points with 2 lay in´s and a hook shot while Gille scored on transition and 2018 NBBL winner Badu Buck also scored inside. Koblenz kept the offensive pressure on also scoring from outside as ex easyCredit BBL player Jonas Niedermanner made a trey for the 41-34 lead. However Kirchheim never lost their cool, but just kept plugging away and closed out the first half with a 13-4 run. EPG Baskets Koblenz head coach Stephan Dohrn was ejected with his second technical foul and the guests took advantage of that. Kirchheim plays as a team, but they also have incredible isolation players and they showed their total talent as Atlanta native CJ Hines dropped a trey while Watson made a tough turn around shot as did ex Northern Oklahoma (JUCO) forward Tyrel Morgan. Zerner also added a lay in for goof measure. Koblenz gave good effort on the defensive end, but the opponent simply made tough shots. The game would of surely looked different for the EPG Baskets Koblenz had they had had other Pro A opponents. “Watson held them in the game. The team gave a good effort and stuck together. I was very surprised by their showing. It was a totally different performance than the last 2 games”, stressed Thomas Klein. The Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights shot 68% from the two point range and 22% from the three point range and had 15 rebounds and 10 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 60% from the two point range and 38% from the three point range and had 12 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

Badu Buck with the runner

In the third quarter the Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights went on a run and from then on managed the lead well, but could never totally shake the EPG Baskets Koblenz as they led only 70-64 after three quarters. Ex BG Leitershofen forward Dragos Diculescú began the third quarter with a lay in tying the game at 47-47. Despite his 8 turnovers, the Romanian national player had a 16/5/3 game and was super aggressive, but a little unlucky in some of his decisions. Then came the turning point of the game as the Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights went on a commanding 12-3 run to lead 59-50. In the run, they got incredible input from CJ Hines who added 8 points and two three´s. The confidence of Kirchheim grew with every new bucket while Watson continued his walking bucket mentality adding a thunderos dunk on transition and a lay in. The Koblenz defensive intensity sunk as did their 1-1 defense and overall help defense. However Koblenz then stepped up their defense understanding the urgency getting two monster blocks from ex Kirchheim forward Jonas Niedermanner on Hines and Watson while Gille blocked Wolf. However their defensive presence couldn´t spark their offense as Kirchheim also defended with a high intensity and passion. Diculescu added a trey and Kraus a lay in, but Desmond Watson always had an answer with big shots making a lay in to keep Koblenz at bay at 66-59. He ended with 29 points and displaying another normal day at the office. “Your correct. This was just another day at the office for me. I just keep pushing every day and stay prayed up”, warned Desmond Watson. Kraus then added a trey, but Watson was aggressive again and stroked home a three pointer for the 69-62 advantage. “Watson is a great player. He was definitely the game changer tonight”, warned Chase Johnson. Williams made a lay in and Watson a free throw ending the third quarter. “We played our game. We played good defense and got stops. We came together and played hard”, added Desmond Watson. “They have been so hot now for 8 games. They keep hitting big and contested shots. We just couldn´t get stops”, commented Chase Johnson. The Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights shot 63% from the two point range and 29% from the parking lot and had 25 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 62% from the two point range and 35% from the parking lot and had 21 rebounds and 14 turnovers.

Johannes Patrick from downtown

In the fourth quarter the EPG Baskets Koblenz continued to fight, but they just couldn´t produce that last game changing run while the Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights continued to manage the lead well and sailed into the sunlight with their 8 win in a row. Chase Johnson began the last frame with a clutch trey as Koblenz trailed 70-67. However as usual in this game, the guests always had an answer and overpowered them with a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 76-67. Kirchheim added two dunks by Watson and Alston while Patrick made a lay in. Koblenz had lost a bit of their defensive intensity not hedging hard enough. The game now became a game of little runs as Koblenz answered with a 4-0 run including a big trey by Buck, but Kirchheim punched back right away with a 6-2 run as Watson made a lay in, Alston a turn around shot and Zerner a lay in for the 82-73 lead as Koblenz could make no ground. Koblenz had Kirchheim at 5 team fouls and got free throws from Kraus and Johnson, but the guests kept punching back with Morgan free throws and a Watson trey for the 87-77 lead with a minute to go. Koblenz didn´t play bad, but they just couldn´t get a big defensive play. Kirchheim ended the game with a 5-0 run as Phillips and Wolf made lay in´s. “We did a great job staying together and following the game plan. We played good defense´, got rebounds and held them to one shot”, expressed Desmond Watson. “We weren´t tired at the end. It was just the way of the game. They played great defense and hit big shots”, said Chase Johnson. The Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights were led by Desmond Watson with 29 points while CJ Hines added 20 points while the EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by Dragos Diculescu with 16 points while Camaron Tongue had 13 points. The Kreisbau Kirchheim Knights shot 54% from the field and 29% from outside and had 31 rebounds and 20 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 45% from the field and 36% from outside and had 27 rebounds and 23 turnovers.