BBL

Julian Gamble (Telekom Baskets Bonn) I Think Increasing My Efficiency Will Automatically Take My Game To The Next Level

Julian Gamble is a 28 year old 207cm power forward/center from Durham, North Carolina that is playing his fifth professional season and second in Germany with the Telekom Baskets Bonn. He started his basketball career at Miami(NCAA) in 2008 and played there until 2013 playing a total of 127 games. In 2013 he started his professional career with Saint Vallier Basket Drome (France-ProB): 44 games: 16.3ppg, Reb-3(9.0rpg), 1.1apg, 1.2spg, Blocks-1(1.5bpg), FGP: 59.8%, 3PT: 10.0%, FT: 62.9%. In 2014 he moved to the Basic-Fit Brussels (Belgium-Scooore League) playing 25 games: 17.0ppg, Reb-3(7.6rpg), 1.4apg, 1.1spg, Blocks-1(1.6bpg), FGP: 57.0%, FT: 69.2%. Two seasons ago, he remained with the Basic-Fit Brussels (Belgium-Scooore League) playing 36 games: Score-5(16.6ppg), Reb-2(8.3rpg), 1.3apg, 1.5spg, Blocks-1(1.9bpg), FGP: 60.8%, FT: 68.1%. Last season with the Telekom Baskets Bonn he played 37 games averaging 13.2ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.7apg, Blocks-3(1.2bpg), FGP: 61.7%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 58.0%; He also played 16 FIBA Europe Cup games averaging 12.8ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 61.8%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 58.2%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against the Fraport Skyliners.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Julian Gamble doing some play by play at the Gezieten Cup in Rhondorf in 2017

Julian thanks for talking to German Hoops How did you enjoy the holiday season a second time in Germany and how special is it celebrating the new year in Bonn?

My holiday season was great. It is always good spending that time with family and my team. It gives us a chance to not think about the games as much and enjoy time with each other and the fruits of our labor

Are you the kind of guy that believes in new years resolutions or do you tend to shy away from that?

I believe in New Year resolutions to a degree. I think we should always try to improve ourselves and set goals to achieve, but a New year resolution is a way to focus on a bigger goal for the calendar year.

Congrats on the big win against the Giessen 46ers. How important was it closing out 2017 with that win?

Closing out the year with a win is always good! Especially when you have a little break between games, it’s always good for the mood of practice for the next week to be coming off of a victory.

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Kris Richard Knows That In The Basketball Arena You Are Your Own Business

Kris Richard is a 27 year old 196cm guard playing his seventh season and was recently with the Walter Tigers Tuebingen (Germany-BBL). He was surprisingly released recently despite putting up solid stats averaging 11,5ppg, 2,0rpg and 2,6apg. He has gathered professional experience in Mexico, Kazakhstan, and Latvia. Last season he played with VEF Riga (Latvia-LBL) playing 26 VTB United League games averaging 9.7ppg, 3.2rpg, 3.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 40.1%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 87.1%; In the Latvian LBL, he played 24 games averaging 11.1ppg, 3.6rpg, 3.9apg, Steals-3(1.8spg), FGP: 42.0%, 3PT: 41.4%, FT: 80.8%. He played at Tulane(NCAA) from 2007-2011 playing a total of 120 NCAA games and as a senior played 30 games averaging 11.4ppg, 6.1rpg, 2.3apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 39.2%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 71.0%. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball recently before his release.

Kris thanks for talking to German Hoops. Your career continues to be a spiral going up as after playing in Mexico, Kazakhstan, and Latvia, you are now in the best league that you have played in in your seventh professional season. Has the road to Germany felt a bit long and difficult at times?

Yeah, the BBL is very competitive, same as the VTB was for me last season. It’s definitely been a blessing to have continued success and professional progression each year. Each season has had its challenges, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

How was your mentality through your first six professional season. Has it felt a bit like a Cinderella story or do you feel it was just part of your special process of getting here?

Yeah for sure, with all the negativity that comes with playing at lower levels it was hard not to get discouraged and try to find another profession. In the basketball arena you are your own business. You construct a plan, pray, and trust that your process will work in your favor.

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Thomas Walkup (MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg) Our Unselfishness Has Created Our Recipe For Winning

Thomas Walkup is a 25 year old 193cm guard from Pasadena, Texas playing his first season with the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg. He played his rookie season with the Windy City Bulls (D-League) playing 40 games averaging 7.6ppg, 3.9rpg, 3.4apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 53.4%, 3PT: 28.2%, FT: 84.5%. He played at SF Austin (NCAA) from 2012-2016 playing a total of 133 NCAA games. In his senior season he played 34 games averaging 18.1ppg, 6.9rpg, 4.5apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 62.7%, 3PT: 25.6%, FT: 81.7%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against the EWE Baskets Oldenburg in Oldenburg.

Thomas, thanks for talking to German Hoops. Last season you were in the States for Christmas and New year playing in the D-League, but this season playing in Germany a day before Christmas and playing after New Years. Are you a fan of this type of schedule or would you rather have that special time with family and friends?

Spending time with the family is always very special. I was lucky to have my family visit me on December 26^th. But at the same time this is my job and you have to make sacrifices and you have to be ready to play.

The NBA is the goal of every player, but after a season in the G-League, you decided to put it on hold and come to Europe. How vital has the signing with the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg been considering how well the season is going for the team and your play?

It has been very important. As a player I am reaching my potential here and doing all I can to fit the system. It has been a great fit for me. I really like to play for coach Patrick. The team and coach also fit well and is one of the reasons why we have been successful.

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Vaughn Duggins (s.Oliver Wurzburg) My Job Is To Be An Aggressive Creator On Offense And A Bulldog On Defense

Vaughn Duggins is a 30 year old 190cm guard from Pendleton, Indiana that is playing his seventh professional season and first with s.Oliver Wurzburg. Last season he played with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg playing 22 games averaging 10.6ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 85.2%. In 4 BCL games he averaged 11.3ppg, 3.3rpg, 2.0apg, 1.5spg. He started his basketball career in 2006 with Wright St. (NCAA) where he played until 2011 paying a total of 130 NCAA games and as a senior played 33 games averaging 18.0ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 44.7%, 3PT: 31.1%, FT: 82.2%. In 2011, he started his professional basketball career in Germany with the Walter Tigers Tuebingen where he played until 2013 and in his second season played 33 games averaging 14.0ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 52.8%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 82.0%. He then played two seasons in France with Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France-ProA) playing 31 games averaging 10.5ppg, 2.8rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 48.4%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 85.9%; and 10 Eurocup games averaging 10.5ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 43.1%, 3PT: 31.6%, FT: 79.2%. He also played with Sluc Nancy Basket Pro (France-ProA) playing 32 games averaging 14.5ppg, 2.8rpg, 3.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 45.5%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 79.3% and played 12 Eurocup games averaging 11.1ppg, 1.6rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 49.3%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 78.6%. He spoke to German Hoops before the BBL game against the Fraport Skyliners.

Vaughn thanks for talking to German Hopps. Congrats on becoming a dad for the second time. What is most different about being a dad for the second time than for the first time?

The biggest difference is the amount of time it takes to do anything. If you expect any task to be done in a certain amount of time, double it!

Before we get to basketball, I have to ask you about German Christmas. You have seen it in Tuebingen and Oldenburg and now witnessing it in Wurzburg. How has the atmosphere been in the Bavarian city and is there anything more unique about it in Bavaria than it was before?

We love the old German charm of the cities here in the South and Würzburg is no different. Great for families and the location is perfect.

Last season you experienced an amazing run with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg. How special was that run for you personally and being a teammate of Mr Oldenburg Rickey Paulding?

It was special because the season was very challenging for us at times. It was great that it all came together at the right time. Rickey is an amazing player but it doesn’t touch how good of a person and teammate he is!

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The Morrison And Tez Lebron Show Fails But The Fraport Skyliners Whip The Walter Tigers Tuebingen 90-63

After the disgusting 83-59 loss to the Giessen 46ers in the always annoying Osthalle where the home fans tend to be rather aggressive with their choice of words at times, the Fraport Skyliners crawled off the court with the only thing missing was bags to cover their faces as not only had Frankfurt been the clear favorite which no one expected to lose, but to be splattered with an embarrassing 23 point loss was about as untypical with the current stellar play of the team as it would be for the New England Patriots to lose their last two home games against Buffalo and Miami. After the loss Quantez Robertson escaped off the court after stretching with that bewildered look as if he had found out that Mcdonalds was closing in the Nordwest center mall where the club trains and lives, but in reality he was still trying to fathom what the club had produced in the second half. The Fraport Skyliners scored a measly unacceptable 22 points and gave up 43 points as their defense their usual staple had totally betrayed them. Usually it is their stellar defense that fuels their offense, but on this unforgettable 22^nd of December in Giessen, the defense actually influenced their offense in a negative way. A week earlier Gordon Herbert had boasted that the incredible win against Alba Berlin had been one of the best wins he had ever been a part of and a week later the loss in Giessen has to go down as one of the worst loses in the club history in the last 10 years. The uninspired and haphazardly play of the Fraport Skyliners scared a lot of people and the only positive thing after a miserable loss like that was that it could only get better. The horrible loss gave a bad taste for their Christmas and the team didn´t have much time to prepare for their next opponent or digest their Christmas dinner either as Herbert had his team practice every day over the holidays. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen were fighting for their lives, had a new head coach with Mathias Fischer and desperately needed wins. The Fraport Skyliners came into their own living room having done a lot of soul searching over the holiday weekend and came back rejuvenated, focused and very aggressive retaliating from the Giessen embarrassment and whipping the Walter Tigers Tuebingen 90-63.

Basketball BL, FRAPORT SKYLINERS - WALTER TIGERS TÜBINGEN

Tai Webster shot 3/3 from the three point line and finished the game with 20 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

After the big win, one could see a more content look on the sweaty face of Fraport Skyliner center Mike Morrison who was a big factor in the good start of the team. “One we made shots, two we played defense and three we played with a lot more energy than in Giessen. When you play good defense, you get more transition opportunities and we made it tough for our opponent from the start”, stressed Florida native Mike Morrison.

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Reggie Upshaw´s Relentless Hard Work Has Made Him An Elite BBL Player Despite Playing For A Losing Team

Having that certain drive to get better and always have the ambition to keep working harder is something that not every player has because sometimes that God given talent takes players away from doing that extra shift on the court or in the gym hours after your teammates have left and gone over to the campus eating area or back home to their families to catch some down time. However for Reggie Upshaw a rookie for German BBL cellar team Walter Tigers Tuebingen, nothing has changed in the last five years from being a freshman at Middle Tennessee State to now in Tuebingen as his relentless hard work continues to be there and pay dividends as his development and growth as a player continues as it has made him an elite BBL player despite playing for a losing team. His confidence also has been affected by his hard work as last July when he was signed by the German team, he uttered these bold words. “I definitely feel like I can be an impact player in the BBL especially if I come in with an open mind to work hard each day”, warned Reggie Upshaw. So far he has stuck behind his wise prediction as his stellar play has brought him to the elite in the BBL. Of course his hard work has brought him a long way and will continue to, but another strength is his character as just a week before he was signed by Tuebingen last summer, he was battling NBA players every day and then he stated how much it was a dream to play in Germany and for Tuebingen something that he credits his dad to helping him mold. “He’s a big part of who I am today if it wasn’t for him I don’t think my character would be like it is now”, warned Reggie Upshaw.

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The Fraport Skyliners Go From Best Against Alba Berlin To Worst Against the Giessen 46ers getting Embarrassed 83-59

A little less than three months ago, the Fraport Skyliners were playing a meaningless pre season game in Giessen and the big men were missing in action as Mike Morrison was out but watching his team play and for Giessen they were still testing their roster as big country John Bryant was still not in the mix, but would soon be signed. On the Giessen side there was also a big man who couldn´t display his game as he was only able to watch his team and parade around the Osthalle sporting his big smile and one could only wonder if he will grey one day as quickly as his legendary father Rudi did. That 28 year old power forward was none other than Marco Voeller who had to sit out three months due to a doping ban. However in the last few months a lot has happened in his basketball career as he went to hardly playing in Giessen to catching on with the Fraport Skyliners and playing a very vital role in their game as the club had been seemingly hit harder by the injury plague than The Dallas Mavericks loss plague this season. In Giessen Voeller had been a steady role player last season for head coach Denis Wucherer averaging 3,1ppg and 1,7rpg in 14 minutes of duty, but this season never found his way into the Ingo Freyer rotation as he had played only eight games averaging 1,0ppg and 2,3rpg in 7,5 minutes of action. The rapid move to the Fraport Skyliners was a beautiful Christmas present for the ex Gotha player as he has shone in his first two games against Bremerhaven and Alba Berlin where he came off the bench getting big minutes. Especially in the win against Bremerhaven he had a fairytale like Frankfurt debut scoring eight points, hauling down five rebounds and dishing out three assists in 14 minutes of action. Voeller made his return back to Giessen and into a very noisy and energetic gym, but was also prepared to battle his ex teammates and also seek to show his old coach that it had been a mistake for not giving him a real chance. Voeller produced four points and three rebounds, but that was a mere side note as the main story was the horrible display of basketball that the Fraport Skyliners displayed in the second half scoring a measly 22 points and being whipped out of the Osthalle arena 83-59. Despite having left Giessen, Voeller still had many youth fans there as 15 minutes after the end of the game, he stood patiently for 10-15 kids for a selfie and then explained his sad return back to Giessen. “The return wasn´t as nice because of the loss. I came in with a neutral mind and gave my best, but this loss really hurts. We didn´t have the correct energy and intensity and Giessen hit everything”, expressed ex Gotha forward Marco Voeller. One guy who had the last laugh was German Mahir Agva who has finally found a BBL home in Giessen with head coach Ingo Freyer. He didn´t get a real chance with Frankfurt and plastered his ex team with 8 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. “I didn´t have an extra special focus going in because it was my ex team. I go into every game with the same focus. I still have many friends in Frankfurt and keep contact. Klaus Perwas congratulated me after the game telling me I played well. I just went in bringing energy, getting offensive rebounds and trying to hit my shots. When you have a guy like John Bryant on the court, it really opens a lot up and makes it easier”, smiled Giessen center Mahir Agva.

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Dee Davis Has Overcome Question Marks And Made The Grade With The Giessen 46ers

At the end of August, a quick and flashy point guard by the name of Dee Davis was testing out the Osthalle floor in his new Giessen home against the Fraport Skyliners in a pre-season game and wasn´t impressing anyone. The American with two professional seasons under his belt was taking hurried low percentage jumpers and driving to the hole into a brick ball and missing shots on a regular basis and the first moans were surfacing and cries for Cameron Wells to return who had been an important piece to the rapid ascension of the club the last years from the Pro A back to the BBL and almost to the playoffs. One could easily observe that Davis had a lot of talent, but was a little wild. He did make some acrobatic shots and made some fine kick out passes finding the open man, but after that game nobody was really convinced he could fill the shoes of Wells. Three and half months later nobody in Giessen is remembering that early pre-season game against Frankfurt anymore and possibly not reminiscing all to much anymore about Wells. One can say now that never rate the ability of a player after one game or two or maybe three especially if it´s the pre-season where teams and players are still working on finding their game within the team structure. Davis is a 24 year old 183cm point guard from Bloomington, Indiana that has overcome early question marks and is making the grade with the Giessen 46ers. Davis is one of many guys that enter the BBL each season looking to make the next step in a much higher and skilled league coming from a lesser league. Sometimes players pan out and sometimes they don´t as the Frankfurt Skyliners found out with Jimmie Hunt who couldn´t make it in the BBL coming as the top scorer with Kemoplast Alpos Sentjur (Slovenia-1A), but did go on to other countries finding his mark and is still playing today in Bulgaria at age 35. Just like Hunt, Davis played his first two seasons in Slovenia with Rogaska Crystal (Slovenia-Liga NovaKBM) leading the team to the final last season and leaving his mark as third top scorer averaging 16.3ppg, 2.9rpg, Assists-4(5.0apg), 1.5spg, FGP: 54.1%, 3PT: 37.8%, FT: 75.6%. The question was right away could the American make the next step in the BBL. He certainly wasn´t lacking in self confidence as in June after being acquired by Giessen he already was sprouting bold predictions about not only making the grade, but more than that. “Of course, I believe in any league I could make an impact”, warned Dee Davis. He has held on to his warning and stat wise totally panned out and helped Giessen be a team currently in the hunt for the playoffs something Giessen isn´t expected to do.” I would describe myself as an aggressive playmaker who’s does what he has to, to help his team win”, stressed Dee Davis. Aggressive he has been and helped lead the team to some big wins. After 11 games he is averaging 14,8ppg, 2,3rpg and 4,7apg, 1,5spg and is shooting a respectable 33% from downtown in 31 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in nine of his first 11 games. Right away in his second game he held his own against top team Brose Bamberg having them near the brink of defeat losing 87-84 as he steered 11 points, dished out eight assists and had three steals. A week later he helped Giessen beat dark horse title favorite Ludwigsburg 83-81 producing 16 points, grabbing four rebounds and getting five dimes while picking his spots and having sound shot selection. Another game that showed he had landed in the BBL was his 20 point and 10 assist game in the 107-99 win against MBC. But one also has to give head coach Ingo Freyer a lot of credit as he has been known for years to bring in those underdog type guards and helped them mature as he showed with Davin White, Zamal Nixon and Brandon Jefferson when he coached Phoenix Hagen. “I believe I can adjust to whatever style of play, but I enjoy getting up and down the court”, added Dee Davis. And that he has and it will be interesting to see where the rest of this season´s journey will go for the ex Xavier standout as so far he has been a refreshing new face to the BBL that has made the most of his opportunity.

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The Fraport Skyliners Roll Over Alba Berlin 90-84 Continuing To Have Their Number

One thing never changes and that is the injury bug that always tends to rear its unwanted presence into team´s seasons, but so far this season, this unneeded problem has slowly become a plague at least if you are Niklas Kiel. Kiel is playing his fourth season with the Fraport Skyliners and has developed steadily over time and was going in a great direction this season, but an early season concussion limited his season and another elbow to the head that presented him with a hospital visit last weekend has sidelined him again. If that isn´t enough, the majority of the Frankfurt front court is sidelined with tough longer lasting injuries with Germans Jonas Wolfarth-Bottermann and Richard Freudenberg. However the Fraport Skyliners did react bringing in experienced hustle and character guy Marco Voeller who already left his mark in his debut against Bremerhaven with 8 points, five rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes and a familiar face with sniper AJ English who will lift some of the consistent scoring pressure off Mr Canada Philip Scrubb. Going into the game this weekend, the club was looking to make a dent into their season trend by beating a big team with Alba Berlin. So far this season the club had beaten the teams they had to beat, but lost to all the big teams like Bamberg, Munich, Ludwigsburg and ratiopharm Ulm. After two tough loses to FC Bayern Munich and medi Bayreuth, the eight time BBL champion has found their way back to the winners circle having disposed of the EWE Baskets Oldenburg and the Giessen 46ers in the last two weeks. They arrived back in Frankfurt seeking revenge after being swept last season and having lost five of their last six games against Frankfurt in the last two seasons, but the waiting for another win will have to continue to wait as the Fraport Skyliners continue to have their number rolling past Alba Berlin 90-84. After the big top game scorer Tai Webster was all smiles and described best in his native New Zealand tongue why Frankfurt was able to dispose of Alba Berlin. “We played an overall good game playing aggressive defense and rebounding well. It did become a little tight at the end, but overall we played a very good game”, stressed Fraport Skyliner point guard Tai Webster. Ex Portland(NCAA) forward Luke Sikma was the second last to emerge from the dressing room and despite his massive game of 20 points, 10 boards and three assists, he was an unhappy camper, but stayed so much more the professional taking a second to tell why his team lost and also getting a quick congratulatory from Frankfurt head coach Gordon Herbert who couldn´t shy away from uttering the words “I loved watching your father play” referring to NBA champion Jack Sikma of the Seattle Supersonics. “We underestimated them a bit. We didn´t come out with the energy that we needed to have. We made too many mistakes in the first half that put us in the hole and we couldn´t recover from”, stressed Luke Sikma. Skyliner guard Philip Scrubb who was sidelined with a knee injury saw the game from a different perspective and also gave his two cents to the victory. “Alba Berlin got many loose balls and dominated on the offensive glass in the first quarter, but we battled back in the second quarter and put them on their heels. We continued to play very well in the third quarter, but did let them come back at the end. We played well despite all our injuries”, warned Philip Scrubb.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing Alba Berlin forward Luke Sikma after dropping 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in the 90-84 loss against the Fraport Skyliners

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Tim Uhlemann Gives NBBL Power Sparking The Giessen 46ers Rackelos Past Rhondorf 76-71

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing 18 year old Giessen NBBL player Tim Uhlemann who sparked his team in crunch-time over the Dragons Rhondorf 76-71 with 12 points and 11 rebounds

Last weekend the Dragons Rhondorf were on the verge through two quarters of possibly setting a new trend in basketball by arriving fashionably late to the gym on a road trip that was hampered by snow and traffic as instead of finding no rhythm in the game after having only a few minutes to put up some shots before the jump ball, they came out with a lot of energy and shocking the Fraport Skyliners Juniors by leading by 10 points in the break. In the second half, Frankfurt was sparked by a snowfall of three´s deciding the game and sending the Dragons home with a lot of thoughts about how they could of somehow pulled out the win. One of those guys that had a few hours to think about the loss as the mini bus was traveling back to Rhondorf on clear and wet roads as the snow had subsided was Kameron Taylor. The Maryland native who played at Seton Hill(NCAA) and at Ehingen(Pro A) last season had had another big game producing 28 points and hauling down 12 rebounds, but it wasn´t enough as not being able to lead his team to victory surely was eating at him. With the Frankfurt loss in the back of his mind, his head was also being challenged with memories of the horrible 90-67 loss in Giessen earlier in the season as they did a great job limiting Taylor on offense. In Giessen Taylor had his lowest point total of the season and attempted his fewest shots of the season with only five. Taylor was double focused and hungry to seek revenge against Giessen and also had no worries of getting late to his home living room, but this time the tables were turned. Not only didn´t Giessen show up until 30 minutes before game time, but the Giessen Taylor wasn´t present as weren´t other key players like Nick Hornsby and Bjarne Kraushaar as they were giving their services to the Giessen BBL team in Braunschweig that prevailed on the road. The Dragons Rhondorf went into the game as the heavy favorite, but instead left the floor after 40 minutes losing 76-71 as Kameron Taylor flirted with another triple double and 18 year old German NBBL youth player Tim Uhlemann scored seven of Giessen´s last nine points rallying his team to an amazing come back win with only seven players. “Despite playing Wednesday against Schwelm and today with only seven players, we got the most out of everyone. We started slow, but we always believed in ourselves and we always found our rhythm as the game went on while Rhondorf lost it”, stressed Marian Schick. Rhondorf lost their first home game of the season and their heart and soul Viktor Frankl-Maus was extra disappointed by the loss. “We had had a similar situation two weeks ago against Wurzburg and pulled out the win. They had seven players, but we had only nine players so the difference wasn´t that great. We were missing our bigs and Alex Moeller was in foul trouble. Giessen fought hard and always hit shots when they had to. We didn´t have the needed self confidence at the end”, stressed Viktor Frankl-Maus. “We went in and did the best we could and wanted to give the win to the guys who weren´t there”, added Tim Uhlemann.

The Dragons Rhondorf came into the game motivated and didn´t underestimate the Giessen 46ers Rackelos speeding out to a quick 10-0 lead as they were able to halt the first seven possessions of Giessen contesting most shots which sparked their offense. The Dragons Rhondorf got two buckets from Kameron Taylor who scored in the first four seconds, Frankl-Maus also scored four points and big man Alexander Moeller dropped free throws. After a Giessen timeout, they went to zone which quickly started to handicap Rhondorf as it helped them rally and get back into the game as they went on a 9-3 run to cut the Rhondorf lead to 15-11. In the run, Giessen who had to play with their BBL jersey´s was led by ex German national player Johannes Lischka who scored six points including a pretty finger tip roll in as he was all over in the paint area. Rhondorf lost intensity and became lackadaisical and got quick five team fouls which allowed Giessen to get to the line. Rhondorf led only 17-12 after one quarter as they were unable to get the most out of their resources. “It was an ugly game. We started off well, but then we were unable to finish well. We were hitting nothing from outside as the shots weren´t contested, but mostly open shots. Giessen did a good job coming back”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf assistant coach Max Schamborn. The Dragons Rhondorf were shooting 32% from the field and 9% from outside while the Giessen 46ers Rackelos were shooting 14% from the field and 0% from outside. Rhondorf had the 14-12 rebound lead and three turnovers and Giessen four turnovers.

The Dragons Rhondorf quickly jumped all over the Giessen 46ers Rackelos going on a 10-2 run to extend their lead to 27-14. In the run, the Dragons Rhondorf once again upped their defense led by ex Ehingen guard Kameron Taylor who made a big block on Alen Pjanic and made a steal and were able to get fast break buckets from Frankl-Maus and 24 year old ex Bayer Uerdingen guard Patrick Reusch. German Thomas Michel and Kameron Taylor also scored in the paint. Rhondorf was doing a good job getting easy buckets in the paint compensating their horrible three point accuracy. 18 year old 203cm Tim Uhlemann made a huge play blocking Thomas Michel on the penetration as the youngster gave a first sign of his talent as it would really come to life in crunch-time. Giessen then shocked Rhondorf with a lightening 6-0 run to cut the Dragons lead to 27-20 as 30 year old veteran German Marian Schick who played three seasons with Hanau showed his inside out game hitting a trey wearing the John Bryant jersey and scoring a layup. Giessen kept up the lead and pressure as they continued to get valuable production from their Germans Anton Geretzki, Viktor Frankl-Maus and Patrick Reusch for the 34-25 lead. But Giessen never let up or lost confidence in not being able to keep pace with Rhondorf as they chipped away and had success on offense as Schick dropped another trey and Lischka scored in the paint cutting the Rhondorf advantage to 36-30. Taylor closed out the first half with a pull up jumper with two seconds remaining as Rhondorf led 38-30. “We led by only eight points and could have been playing a lot better. Giessen hurt our zone and we didn´t make good decisions”, added Rhondorf assistant coach Max Schwamborn. The Dragons Rhondorf were shooting 39% from the field and 11% from the three point line while the Giessen 46ers Rackelos were shooting 32% from the field and 38% from outside. Giessen had the 22-21 rebound edge, but 11 turnovers while Giessen had nine turnovers.

In the third quarter, Rhondorf held the lead, but Giessen continued to stay on the heels of the home team. Giessen NBBL player Tim Kordyaka got Giessen on the board first after he dropped a trey after the club had established nice ball movement and Schick made a free throw as Rhondorf led only 38-34. Rhondorf responded with a furious 6-0 run as their guard play ruled as Taylor set up Frankl-Maus twice and the American then scored on transition as Rhondorf led 44-34. Giessen shot back going on a 8-2 run as they cut Rhondorfs lead to only 46-42. In the run, Giessen was sparked by Schick who was aggressive in the paint scoring twice and Lischka hit his bread and butter step back jumper. Then all of a sudden both teams found their range from outside as Rhondorf got key three´s from Frankl-Maus and Michel while Giessen got trey´s from Pjanic and ex Nordlingen guard Leo Vrkas, but Rhondorf still had the narrow 56-50 lead. “The game was ugly and you could see that both teams were tired. Our energy was missing and we were unable to make the extra step”, added Viktor Frankl-Maus. “We knew that we had to work harder in our zone defense, because Rhondorf was still getting easy baskets inside. We calmed down a bit on offense and stayed in the game”, added Marian Schick. The Dragons Rhondorf was shooting 42% from the field and 16% from the parking lot while the Giessen 46ers Rackelos were shooting 35% from the field and 43% from the parking lot. Giessen had the 33-30 rebound edge and had 13 turnovers while Rhondorf had 11 turnovers.

The fourth quarter was a real dog fight as Rhondorf had a horrible start which allowed Giessen to threaten, take the lead and win the game. Giessen stopped Rhondorf´s first seven possessions allowing no field goals and got only three points from free throws from Reusch and Taylor and were able to cut their lead to 58-57. Giessen continued to get great support from their work horse Johannes Lischka who scored twice in the paint and Pjanic made a beautiful tip in alley-op on a perfect Vrkas feed. The great Giessen come back continued to get their emotions high which sparked NBBL player Tim Uhlemann to new heights as he nailed a three from the corner giving Giessen it´s first lead of the game at 60-59. That was short lived as Taylor hit a step back jumper for the 61-60 lead. Giessen kept battling and got quick buckets form Lischka and Pjanic for the 65-61 advantage. Michel and Pjanic then traded baskets, but Giessen still led 67-63 with 3,41 minutes remaining. Rhondorf then went on a key 6-0 run to lead 69-67 heightening their defense forcing a few turnovers and Mr energy Patrick Reusch nailed two clutch pull up jumpers not hesitating for a second finding nothing but net. When many thought it would be Taylor time, it was actually Uhlemann time as he stepped up again hitting a huge three for the 70-69 Giessen lead. “Joe Lischka found me in the corner. I believe that his good play sparked my good play”, added Tim Uhlemann. “I saw Uhlemann play in the Oberliga yesterday and told him before this game just to go out and play your game and shoot whenever your open.”, smiled Marian Schick. Taylor gave Rhondorf their last lead 71-70 with 38 seconds to go. Uhlemann showed no nerves hitting two free throws as Giessen led again 72-71 with 24 seconds to go and never looked back. With 24 seconds to go Rhondorf elected to give Latvian lion Ronalds Elknis the three attempt, but he missed. Pjanic then made free throws for the 74-71 lead. Taylor missed to tie the game and Uhlemann closed out the game with free throws. “We did a good job on the last two possessions. I stayed off Elksnis giving him the shot rather than letting a Frankl-Maus or Geretzki get open shots. We contested Taylor well. We stayed calm at the end and made all the right decisions and had the needed self confidence”, added Marian Schick. “Elksnis had the best opportunity and I told him earlier to shoot when open. We had bad luck as shots were going in at the other end. Giessen hit their shots and made all the right decisions. We didn´t have Uhlemann on the scouting sheet. He came up big and you have to respect that”, stressed Viktor Frankl-Maus. The Giessen 46ers Rackelos were led by Johannes Lischka with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Marian Schick added 14 points and Tim Uhlemann had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Alen Pjanic had 12 points. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Kameron Taylor with 23 points, nine rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and four blocks. Viktor Frankl-Maus produced 18 points and Thomas Michel and Patrick Reusch added 11 points apiece. The Giessen 46ers Rackelos shot 38% from the field and 42% from outside while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 40% from the field and 13% from outside, Giessen won the rebound battle 46-38, but had 17 turnovers while Rhondorf coughed up the ball 13 times.