It´s the dog days of summer and basketball is slowly getting back into the swing of things. With a little more than a month to go before the start of the 2025-2026 Pro A season, the EPG Baskets Koblenz met new pro A team RheinStars Cologne for a friendly game in Koblenz. Only 48 hours after destroying the Regionalliga team Mainz 103-51, they were back at it for their second pre season game against Cologne. The EPG Baskets have a new coach with ex Dragons Rhondorf coach Stephan Dohrn and produced an off season house cleaning. After suffering 2 no playoff appearances in their first 2 Pro A seasons, the club is very ambitious to achieve their best season ever in the Pro A. Only 2 seasons ago, Dohrn led the Dragons Rhondorf to the Pro B title and has constructed an interesting new team with a lot of experience at the point guard and big man positions. With the RheinStars, the EPG Baskets had an interesting opponent who want to leave a mark in the Pro A season after many years of paying their dues in the Pro B. The EPG Baskets were without any injuries while the guests were without Justin Onyejiaka, Hall Elisias and Haris Hujic. The first half was a tight affair until the last 2 minutes where Koblenz guard Garrett Hicks (183-PG-2001, college: Samford) ran off 6 points which helped shift the momentum which they took into the second half and from then on the EPG Baskets controlled the game until the end winning easily 83-63. “It took us a little while in the first half to get adjusted to the pick and roll coverage and we had to many turnovers, but in the second half we cleaned up our turnovers and shared the ball better. We also had better spacing and adjusted better to their hedging. We defended aggressive for the most part and that began with the guards. We were always pressuring and had active hands”, stressed EPG Baskets guard Garrett Hicks. It was the real first test for the RheinStars Cologne who had problems taking care of the ball with 25 turnovers and shot poorly which led to the loss. “I feel like despite having 3 guys out, we showed real poise. I think like our young guys stepped up. We had too many turnovers and it was just one of those nights where nothing fell”, stressed RheinStars Cologne guard Asa Williams.

Calvin Wishart at the FT line

The RheinStars took the rapid 4-0 lead as their guards Pro B MVP Ruppert Hennen and ex Skyliner Maxi Begue scored while their trap defense totally tied up Koblenz in the first 40 seconds. However then came some serious fireworks in the name of Calvin Wishart. July 4th was long gone and so were the fireworks, but the ex Wurzburg player gave a new meaning to scoring in bunches as he reeled off 9 points in less than a minute giving Koblenz the 11-4 advantage. 2 quick steals from himself helped as he nailed 2 three´s and also made 2 lay in´s. “Calvin plays with fire each day. I think like everyone is going to have to get used to seeing spurts like that from him”, smiled Garrett Hicks. One even heard a MVP chant from a spectator in the direction of Wishart. Koblenz kept the lead, but couldn´t run away from Cologne as they stayed in the game getting big baskets as always from shifty Ruppert Hennen and ex Longwood College (NCAA) forward Zac Watson also scored keeping Koblenz up only by the score of 17-15. Ex Dragons Rhondorf forward Tim Smith Jr was a force getting a few offensive rebound and putbacks as his energy was real refreshing to watch. Hicks and Williams traded three pointers and the EPG Baskets Koblenz had the tight 23-20 advantage after 10 minutes. “That first quarter was very tight. We had problems with turnovers and were still getting adjusted to the game, but we were hitting shots pretty well”, stressed Garrett Hicks.

Zac Watson from downtown

The second quarter was very close until the last minute where Garrett Hicks rattled off 6 points to give the EPG Baskets the more comfortable 7 point lead at the break. The RheinStars Cologne had a good phase in the first few minutes going on a 9-4 run to get the lead back at 29-27. In the run, they got a trey from Williams, a 20 footer from Canadian Adam Paige and an offensive rebound and put back and dunk from Bjoern Rohwer. The RheinStars were doing a good job taking the mis matches and getting some easy lay ups. However the EPG Baskets had no lull at all on offense continuing to execute well as Tim Smith Jr continued to be a force hitting shots and getting key rebounds. He had 11 rebounds in the game while the other 4 bigs of Moeller, Bacak, Sonnenfeld and Niedermanner had 12 in all. “Tim has a quick second jump. He is a great shooter and his game creates opening for our driving game”, warned Garrett Hicks. Wishart added a dunk and Smith Jr a trey while the guests got a tip in and lay in from Watson as Koblenz led 37-36. Hicks then closed out the second quarter in fine fashion with a trey, lay in and free throw for the 43-36 advantage. “That run at the end gave us breathing room and confidence and built our momentum going into the third quarter. I was just trying to pick my spots”, said Garrett Hicks.

Garrett Hicks from outside

In the third quarter the EPG Baskets Koblenz took control of the game going on a 10-0 run to lead 53-39. Asa Williams actually began the third quarter with a clutch trey as Cologne trailed 43-39, but then came the brutal 10-0 run as the EPG Baskets showed what team is all about allowing 5 different guys to contribute in the scoring. Ex BBL player Aleksa Kovacevic hit free throws, ex Trier big man Janis Sonnenfeld made a lay in, Smith was very active as usual on the offensive glass with a offensive rebound and put back, Wishart scored on transition and Niédermanner made a step back jumper. The EPG Baskets defensive pressure was overwhelming as steals were produced and the RheinStars had no way of finding an offensive rhythm. German Jasper Gunther then took some pressure off Hennen who was on the bench as he scored 7 unanswered points, but they couldn´t make any ground as the EPG Baskets Koblenz continued to execute well on offense. Hicks made a lay in and the Koblenz bench also stepped up as Jacob Hanzalek hit a three pointer. The RheinStars only scored 10 points in the third quarter and Jonas Niedermanner closed out the scoring with a lay in after getting the bullet pass from Alex Moeller for the Koblenz 60-46 advantage after 30 minutes. Moeller only scored 1 point on ¼ shooting from the free throw line, but was third best with assists in the game with 3. “I think that our offense helped our defense. Whenever we scored, it helped us set our defense. We continued to press really well and got many stops”, stated Garrett Hicks. “We came out flat. We had 1 basket in the first 6 minutes. Our turnovers really hurt us and we couldn´t match their physicality”, stated Asa Williams.

Asa Williams from the parking lot

The EPG Baskets Koblenz sealed the lid on the win early getting 5 stops in a row and later let it rain three´s as they showed some of their offensive potential in the last minutes. The EPG Baskets Koblenz began with a quick 4-0 run as Kovacevic made free throws and ex easyCredit BBL player Marco Bacak made a lay in for the commanding 63-46 lead. Defensively the pressure defense of Koblenz stifled the RheinStars as they couldn´t make any kind of a comeback. Williams finally got the RheinStars on the board with a jumper at the 7,09 mark and then hit a trey as Koblenz led 64-52. However the RheinStars couldn´t get over the hump anymore simply because the EPG Baskets Koblenz decided to let it rain three´s in the last minutes. The EPG Baskets would connect on 5 three´s as Nidermanner hit 2 while Sonnenfeld, Hicks and Hanzalek also connected. The RheinStars also hit a few three´s from Konstantin Lehmann and Rohwer also scored, but it was too little too late as the EPG Baskets Koblenz went to 2-0 in the pre season. “We had our rhythm at the end. We got used to playing with each other and shots began to fall more”, said Garrett Hicks. “Their good start decided the game. We had no chance to comeback when they began hitting their three´s”, said Asa Williams. The EPG Baskets had 5 guys score in double figures led by Garrett Hicks with 16 points. Calvin Wishart added 15 points while Tim Smith Jr and Jonas Nidermanner added 14 points a piece while the RheinStars Cologne were led by Asa Williams with 15 points whiel Bjoern Rohwer had 13 points. The EPG Baskets shot 46% from the field and 34% from outside and had 43 rebounds and 19 turnovers while the RheinStars Cologne shot 36% from the field and 27% from outside and had 41 rebounds and 25 turnovers.

It was do or die in the Dragon Dome as the Dragons Rhondorf returned back into their own living room down 1-0 against the 26-1 Giants Leverkusen. Everybody in Dragons country were just happy to have made the playoffs at the last second and knew that beating Leverkusen was a brutal challenge to master. A game has 40 minutes, but in game one the Dragons Rhondorf held strong for 1 quarter, but then lost total control by the knock out punch and couldn´t recover losing 98-66. Rhondorf was crushed on the boards and couldn´t match the solid shooting percentages either. The only positive note was taking care of the ball. Did the Dragons Rhondorf have anything left in their gas tank to equal the series at 1-1? On a mild early spring evening, Dragons fans came out one more time and were hoping for a miracle. Before the game commenced, fans were predicting a 30-40 point win for Leverkusen, but instead witnessed a total rebirth from the Dragons Rhondorf as they had the halftime lead and trailed only by 3 points after 30 minutes, but in the end just didn´t have enough as Leverkusen swept the series winning game 2 73-62 ending the Dragons season. Rhondorf were without Kelvin Omojola and Kenan Reinhart, but they didn´t give 100%, but 180% and gave all they had for 40 minutes and went out strong keeping their heads held high. “The first half was our best this season. Our energy was so high and we defended really well. I think that we could have been up 15 points, but we missed some easy shots. We fell apart to begin of the second quarter and weren´t focused. We didn´t take as good shots as in the first half and they didn´t fall. We were at a disadvantage against Heinzmann and got tired and got quick fouls”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf guard Janne Muller. The Bayer Giants Leverkusen didn´t play their best game, but had enough experience and individual qualities that allowed them to win the game. “It was a tale of 2 halves. I think that we played trying to hard to win in the first half. We were too aggressive and forced too much. In the second half, we settled down and took a breath and played our game”, stressed Bayer Giants Leverkusen forward Donte Nicholas (196-G/F-1987, college: Fresno Pacific).

Tim Smith Jr form downtown

The first quarter was similar to the first quarter in game 1 in that both teams found an offensive rhythm and were scoring at ease. Both teams played at a high intensity and there were 4 lead changes as Leverkusen led by 3 points after 10 minutes. Rhondorf defended with an extreme high intensity and forced Leverkusen too early turnovers while getting their mid range and inside game going as Tim Smith hit a 20 footer, Mueller made a 15 footer and ex Frankfurt guard Alexander Lagerman a lay in as he was his aggressive self, but trailed 7-6. Leverkusen was trying to get Heinzmann involved and did as he scored 3 times including one massive dunk. When the big 216cm center was near the basket, it was usually an automatic basket. With Leverkusen up 12-9, the Dragons Rhondorf got a spark with a 6-0 run as Smith Jr and Mamadou Diallo stroked home consecutive three´s for the 15-12 advantage. But the Dragons defense wasn´t spot on yet as Leverkusen recovered well going on a 8-2 run to close out the first quarter to lead 20-17. In the run, they received clutch three´s from ex Iserlohn forward Moritz Huebner and ex BBL player Soren Urbansky. Nicholas also added an offensive rebound and put back. The Dragons Rhondorf had forced 6 turnovers with their aggressive defense while shooting a portent 71% from the 2 point range, but only 25% from outside while the Giants Leverkusen led the rebound battle 11-6, but shot only 43% from the 2 point area and 33% from outside. “Our offensive flow wasn´t really there. We didn´t do a good job taking care of the ball. They had nothing to lose and we gave them way too many opportunities”, stressed Donte Nicholas.

Dennis Heinzmann at the FT line

In the second quarter the Dragons Rhondorf played their best quarter of the season allowing only 8 points as they totally stifled Leverkusen and forced an incredible 16 turnovers to lead 36-28 at half-time. Pilipovic began with 2 free throws, but Urbansky then added a lay in for the 22-19 advantage, but ex BBL player Marco Rahn was quick to answer with a trey to dead lock the game 22-22. Rhondorf then really stepped up their defensive game going on a 12-2 run to lead 34-24. In the run, Leverkusen coughed up the ball 5 times including 2 turnovers by Heinzmann as the Dragons were flying around the court as the help defense was spot on and getting in the passing lanes worked really well. Rhondorf executed well on offense getting a transition dunk from Danas Kazakevicius and 2 baskets a piece from Smith Jr and Mueller as they let their mid range game sparkle. Some missed Dragons free throws and shots diminished their lead a bit and a hook shot at the end from Urbansky kept the Dragons lead under 10 points. “We executed very poorly. They seemed to have scouted us well and knew our plays. But that can´t happen. We had second and third options, but we couldn´t execute the way we should of. But we didn´t panic. We were still in the game”, warned Donte Nicholas. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 65% from the 2 point area and 25% from the three point line and had 9 rebounds and 5 turnovers while the Bayer Giants Leverkusen shot 43% from the 2 point area and 20% from the three point area and had 23 rebounds and 20 turnovers.

Janne Mueller at the FT line

In the third quarter the Bayer Giants Leverkusen punched back in a very annoying way going on a 18-0 run to regain the lead at 46-36, but the Dragons Rhondorf didn´t collapse, but fought back to trail only 53-50 after 3 quarter. The Bayer Giants Leverkusen didn´t waste anytime, but punched back right away with a gigantic run and produced 12 stops before the Dragons could muster their first points. The Bayer Giants Leverkusen found back to their game and got Heinzman going as he scored 5 buckets as the Dragons couldn´t contain him. Leverkusen continued to attack the paint area and also got a lay in by versatile Donte Nicholas and 2 baskets by quick German Sebastian Brach. Leverkusen heightened their defensive intensity and aggressiveness, but Rhondorf had some good looks, but just couldn´t execute. But the Dragons Rhondorf rebounded well from this shock ending the third quarter with a spirited 14-7 run to trail only by 3 points. Smith Jr stopped the Leverkusen run at the 3,31 minute mark with a trey and Mueller added 5 points and Lagermann 4 points as his aggressiveness paid off. Leverkusen didn´t have that killer offense as at times they were a bit hesitant. “Coach Koch wasn´t pleased at the break. We came back refocused and cut off their water. We communicated better on defense and switched better. On offense we calmed down and got Heinzmann involved more. He is a walking mis match nightmare”, stressed Donte Nicholas. “Leverkusen was more aggressive, but didn´t really defend any different. It was more on us. We didn´t come out focused and just didn´t hit shots. I think if we would have seen a few go in early, then it would have been a different third quarter. Their experience hurt us”, added Janne Mueller. The Bayer Giants Leverkusen shot 48% form the 2 point area and 20” from the parking lot and had 36 rebounds and 21 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 64% from the 2 point area and 23% from the parking lot and had 15 rebounds and 9 turnovers.

Sebastian Brach from outside

In the fourth quarter the Bayer Giants Leverkusen continued to execute well and began with a 16-5 run which decided the game as the hump to get back was way to massive for the Dragons Rhondorf. The Bayer Giants Leverkusen commenced with a rapid 5-0 run as Nicholas dropped a trey and Serbian guard Dimitrijie Djordevic a lay in to lead 58-50. Lagermann answered with a lay in, but Leverksuen always had an answer and their experience helped them get to the free throw line as Urbansky and Nicholas scored for the 61-52 lead. Mueller added a trey to trail 61-55, but then came the ultimate punch from Leverkusen. They ran off a lethal 8-0 run to decide the game. In the run, the Bayer Giants Leverkusen got 4 free throws from Heinzmann, free throws from Nicholas and a lay in by Moritz Huebner at the buzzer to lead 69-55. Rhondorf responded with a 5-0 run as Marco Rahn added 4 points to trail 69-60, but it was too little too late with 2 minutes to play. Marco Rosic added a lay in in traffic and Sebastian Brach ended the game with a trey. “We were more physical and got to the free throw line. We punched first and they didn´t punch back”, stressed Donte Nicholas. “We weren´t as clear with our decision making and half hearted on offense. It may have been a closer game had we been able to punch back”, stated Janne Mueller. The Bayer Giants Leverkusen were led by Dennis Heinzmann with 24 points while Donte Nicholas added 16 points and Sebastian Brach 14 points while the Dragons Rhondorf were led by Janne Mueller with 19 points and Tim Smith had 14 points. The Bayer Giants Leverkusen shot 36% from the field and 26% from outside and had 45 rebounds and 22 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 43% from the field and 26% from outside and had 24 rebounds and 13 turnovers.

On the last regular season game day in the Pro B, there were very exciting duels in both the north and south concerning the last playoff places, but in Frankfurt there was a game that had absolute no meaning for one team the Frankfurt team. On account of a disgusting 7 game losing streak in the crunch-time of the season, they weren´t going to be in the playoffs this season. It could have been exciting for Frankfurt on this last game had they not lost 2 of the last 3 games by only 2 point margins which was extremely bitter. For Fellbach, it had no real meaning either as they had secured home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Fellbach hadn´t been playing great basketball as of late as they had lost 3 of their last 5 games, but wanted to end the regular season on a positive note with a win and have some momentum in the playoffs while Frankfurt wanted to end the season on a positive note as well. On a very warm early Spring evening, the favorite SV Fellbach Flashers found to their game midway through the first quarter and never looked back leading by as much as 27 points as their experience totally overwhelmed the Skyliners youth as they played catch up basketball all night long as Fellbach won 82-68 securing third place in the Pro B south. “Our goal coming in was to get the win and keep building into the playoffs. We noticed that they didn´t hit the 3 well the last games so we played zone. We wanted to play it safe and trust our game plan. Our offense was good, but became a little stagnant in the second half when they switched more. I feel that we can still reach the next level on offense”, warned SV Fellbach Flasher Malik Whittaker. The Skyliners Juniors came in as the underdog lacking experience and a big man that could challenge Mayr as Malik Kordell was injured and just couldn´t get a groove on the defensive end. “Fellbach was a tough opponent. We wanted to enjoy the last game. We fought until the end and learned from our mistakes in the last games where we lost some tough games. We found a solution for the zone in the fourth quarter by making quicker passes and not being selfish and taking good shots”, stressed Skyliner Junior Namori Omog.

Jamie Edoka from outside

The Skyliners Juniors were without Bruno Albrecht, Malik Kordell and Chuku Chukwuma and held strong for the first 5 minutes as they got 2 great individual efforts by 17 year old German Jamie Edoka with runners in traffic while Felix Hecker dropped a trey and 20 year old German Leo Cosic made a lay in. Fellbach countered with super execution spreading the love around playing inside out ball as Whittaker added 5 points with a lay in and trey while ex Fordham (NCAA) guard Zaire Thompson made a step back jumper and Mayr free throws as the game was deadlocked at 9-9. But The Skyliners Juniors couldn´t keep up as Fellbach cruised out on a 11-2 run to lead 20-11. In the run they got super production from Mayr with 4 points and a massive 2 handed dunk, a dunk from Bulgarian forward Jeremy Kolev and a lay in from Whittaker. Fellbach did a good job getting the ball inside and attacking the constant mismatches with Daniel Mayr (218-C-1995). Fellbach defended with a high intensity and forced the Skyliners Juniors to many turnovers. German Julius Messer then hit a trey, but Fellbach continued to apply pressure ending the first quarter with a 5-0 run as Thompson dropped a trey and ex Reutlingen forward David Grubic made a lay in as the Fellbach Flasher led comfortably 25-14. “Fellbach had a lot of experience and played a tough zone. It was tough going against the much taller Mayr. Frankfurt made small mistakes like not seeing a player, making a bad pass or just over dribbling”, stressed Skyliner Junior Florian Dietrich. The SC Fellbach Flashers shot 53% from the field and 40% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 3 turnovers while the Skyliners Juniors shot 46% from the field and 29% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

Daniel Mayr at the FT line

In the second quarter the SV Fellbach Flashers could build their lead a bit more in which they allowed the Skyliners Juniors to only 8 points and led 42-22 at the break. After ex Idstein guard Mickey De Sousa and glue guy Marvin Esser traded baskets, it was the SV Fellbach Flashers that found their way on another run of 8-0 to extend their lead to 35-17. In the run, they were able to get 2 baskets inside from Whittaker and Mayr as the American dominated with his 1-1 strength and Mayr used the mismatch while the other 2 buckets were on transition as Whittaker scored again as did ex Tuebingen NBBL player Nik Schlif. Fellbach defended well, but Frankfurt was also sloppy on offense, but their inexperience and youth also played a role. Frankfurt defended well down the stretch allowing only 7 points, but on offense just couldn´t execute well against their zone as they would get stifled time in and time out again and Fellbach got big blocks from Mayr and Brian Butler. Mayr scored 4 points and Thompson dropped another trey while the Skyliners Juniors got a lay in from Joschua Zentgraf who played a career high 31 minutes and had 9 points and 9 rebounds including 6 offensive rebounds. German Maximillian Peters also added a three pointer from the corner. “We were sloppy on offense which led to easy baskets by them. We tried to play fast against their zone, but without success. We were lacking experience which led to turnovers”, stated Florian Dietrich.

Dusan Nikolic with the runner

In the third quarter the Skyliners Juniors were able to execute better, but couldn´t get any ground on Fellbach losing the quarter 22-17 and trailed 64-39. The Skyliners came out roaring and had a great start going on a 8-2 run to trail only 44-30 as suddenly there was some hope again for the young team. In the run, the Skyliners Juniors got 3 points from the universal genius Ivan Crnjac who stayed very cold on this night going 1/6 from the field, a trey from Edoka and another lay in from Cosic. However the Skyliners Juniors couldn´t take that momentum and build on it as Fellbach punched back with a 11-0 run to lead 55-30. Whittaker was a scoring machine with 7 points while Mayr added 4 points. Fellbach continued to attack the paint area and Whittaker´s athleticsm and quickness helped him carry to easy buckets. Frankfurt wasn´t lively enough at both ends allowing Fellbach to have easy execution. After another Edoka trey, Fellbach went on another run of 7-2 to lead 62-35. Mayr kept getting the ball inside and punishing the Skyliners Juniors with 5 points. Butler also added a turn around shot as 2 points was all he had on this night, but he dished out 4 assists, one prettier than the other. On this night Mayr really looked like a man among boys. “It wasn´t just easy today for Daniel, but in general the game comes easy to him. He is a very skilled big man that does a great job finding the weak side shooter, getting to the ft line and making shots”, warned Malik Whittaker. The Skyliners Juniors closed out the third quarter strong with a 4-2 run as Dusan Nikolic made a lay in and Omog a 15 footer at the buzzer. “We wanted to come out into the third with a good quarter. In the past, we haven´t had good starts. We put our foot on the gas”, commented Malik Whittaker. “Mayr dominated in the third quarter. It was difficult against him as he was 2 heads bigger than us. It was even more difficult when Butler was on the court at the same time. Both are so strong and smart and know how to find the open man”, explained Namori Omog. The SV Fellbach Flasher shot 66% from the field and 38% from the three point line and had 17 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the Skyliners Juniors shot 42% from the field and 29% from the three point line and had 18 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

Malik Whittaker with the runner

The Skyliners Juniors didn´t give up in the fourth quarter, but closed out their season with a explosive 29 points while keeping Fellbach to 18 points. Felix Hecker began strong scoring 5 points and Nikolic added a trey and Peters a lay in as Fellbach suddenly only led 69-47. Mayr continued to be active scoring 4 points, but Frankfurt stepped up their defensive intensity knowing as it would be 5.5 months before the start to the new season. Hecker continued to be motivated and found his rhythm dropping 2 more three´s as his high rainbow shot is always beautiful to observe as Fellbach led 76-57. Nikolic also added 5 points as the Skyliners Juniors had strung along a lethal 14-4 run to trail only 78-63. In the last minutes Moritz Schneider and Grubic made lay in´s while the Skyliners Juniors got a floater from Edoka and 3 points from Zentgraf to end the game. The Skyliners Juniors may have lost the game, but they conquered Fellbach´s zone in the last quarter and most Skyliners had smiles after the game. “We weren´t focused to finish the game. We have to work on that. We will face teams in the playoffs that will hurt us if we aren´t focused”, warned Malik Whittaker. “We never gave up. We wanted to end the season well and not go disappointed into the break. We put more pressure at both ends of the court and weren´t selfish”, warned Namori Omog. The SV Fellbach Flashers were led by Daniel Mayr with 27 points and Malik Whittaker added 22 points while the Skyliners Juniors were led by Felix Hecker with 14 points while Jamie Edoka added 12 points. The SV Fellbach Flashers shot 62% from the field and 36% from outside and had 25 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the Skyliners Juniros shot 47% from the field and 37% from outside and had 26 rebounds and 14 turnovers.

There was no live stats in second quarter, so stats in article from 3 quarters,

With the Fiba break over, it was time for the Frankfurt Skyliners to get back down to business. There were was a little more than 2 months left in the season as Frankfurt was fighting to remain in the league. Frankfurt had a good 4 game cushion between last placed BG Goettingn, but they still wanted to finish the season strong and perhaps even go on a run with wins. They came into the game with the Hamburg Towers with added self-confidence as they still had their cup run in the back of their minds. They met Hamburg who had 3 wins more, but had a 2 game losing streak. On a mild Saturday night, this was a contest that displayed 2 teams where nobody team was going to lay down and die as both kept it close for the most part of the game. The Hamburg Towers guard terror of Ivey, Lottie and Stove combined for 50 points in the 45 minutes and when it counted most overpowered Frankfurt in overtime to seal their 9th win of the easyCredit BBL season. “ We didn´t start strong, but we always give ourselves a chance to win. We have grown this season in our faith to win. We always believe that we can win the fight. It always starts on defense. Our grit is our biggest strength and was tonight”, stressed Hamburg Tower guard Brae Ivey (187-PG-1997, college: SJSU, agency: LHZ Sport Agency). Frankfurt fought the whole game, but when it counted most in overtime, couldn´t execute and make the big plays to overcome Hamburg. “We defended very well, but we didn´t punish them enough when we could of. Our defense was the reason that we even reached overtime. We stuck together the whole game and made things tough for them”, stressed Frankfurt Skyliner Timo Lanmueller.

Jonathan Stove at the FT line

The Frankfurt Skyliners came out strong defensively, but the Hamburg Towers didn´t play with a high intensity and couldn´t match Frankfurt´s energy early on and didn´t move the ball well. Frankfurt took the rapid 10-3 lead as everything looked fabulous in their living room in the first 5 minutes of the game. Frankfurt were pushing the ball inside and got easy baskets from ex Alba Berlin big man Lorenz Brenneke and ex University of Texas (NCAA) forward Kamaka Hepa. They were also aggressive getting to the free throw line as ex Boston College forward Patrick Heckman added 4 points. Hamburg then got 2 easy baskets from ex MBC guard Jonathan Stove and 19 year old German big man Fabian Giessmann who came from TK Hannover as Frankfurt only led 12-7. However Frankfurt closed out the first quarter strong as Canadian David Muenkat scored and ex Trier guard Garai Zeeb connected on free throws for the commanding 17-9 advantage after 10 minutes. Frankfurt shot 31% from the field and 0% from outside and had 12 rebounds an d 2 turnovers while the Hamburg Towers shot 24% from the field and 0% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 4 turnovers. No three was falling as both teams were o/11 combined. “They didn´t do anything special on defense. We just didn´t hit shots. We missed like 3 wide open three´s and some easy layups”, stressed Brae Ivey.

Malik Parsons at the FT line

In the second quarter the Frankfurt Skyliners continued to have the comfortable lead, but the Hamburg Towers slowly began to execute better and play more as a team as they trailed only by 3 points at half-time. Ex Seton Hall (NCAA) guard Jordan Theodore and Stove traded buckets to start as Frankfurt led 19-11. However Frankfurt began to get sloppy taking care of the ball due partly to Hamburg´s more aggressive defense and began to chip away at Frankfurt´s lead going on a 11-4 run to suddenly only trail 25-22. In the run, Hamburg got good support from their guard terror and Ivey and ex Flager University (NCAA2) guard Jaizec Lottie scored on drives while ex University of Utah (NCAA) forward Kenneth Ogbe scored as did Giessmann again. Frankfurt´s defensive intensity had dipped a bit and their 1-1 defense as well. Frankfurt did maintain the slight lead going into the break at 29-26. Jordan Theodore who seemingly can always get a bucket on the drive due to his still available speed and finding his spots well did while Stove dropped a trey. “The Fiba break was a good time to shake off the rust and get our feel back. We warmed up in the second quarter”, stated Hamburg guard Brae Ivey. The Frankfurt Skyliners shot 30% from the field and 0% from the three point line and had 22 rebounds and 7 turnovers while the Hamburg Towers shot 30% from the field and 11% from the three point line and had 22 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

Brae Ivey from outside

The third quarter continued to be a battle where Frankfurt did lead by 5 points only to lose it again as Hamburg crept back and led by 1 point after 30 minutes. Brae Ivey who played JUCO ball at Riverside City College and made it to the ACB in Spain played superb on ball defense in the first seconds to steal the ball from ex Euroleague guard Jordan Theodore and went on transition for the easy basket, but Frankfurt still led 29-28. Frankfurt then got much needed input from new guard Marcus Domask who averaged 9,0ppg in the G-League with Windy City added 5 points including a trey giving Frankfurt the 34-29 advantage. However Frankfurt didn´t get any breathing room as Hamburg just kept supplying the guard terror. Domask did deliver another bomb from outside, but Brae Ivey just stayed focused and added 5 points to dead lock the game at 39-39. Ivey´s great ball handling and quickness always gave him advantages over the Frankfurt defense and he executed the way an ex ACB player should. Hamburg then took control of the game as now it was Lottie´s opportunity as he nailed 2 three´s. Frankfurt stayed strong punching back as ex Artland Dragon Jacob Knauf scored with a lay in and Heckman netted a trey. Then 208cm center kur Kuath who hails from South Sudan and played at Marquette (NCAA) made a massive alley-oop dunk as Lottie served up the dime. “We see Kur do that 1-2 times a game. He is our lob guy. That was a nice dunk”, said Brae Ivey. Giessmann added a lay in and ex Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NCAA2) guard Malik Parsons added free throws as the Hamburg Towers led 49-48. “It was tough going back and forth. You just wanted to break through that wall”, added Brae Ivey. “We kept punching back. But it was difficult to stop their guards. They are all 3 level scorers. They kept us on our toes all night long”, stressed Timo Lanmueller.

Jordan Theodore to the rim

In the fourth quarter the battling back and forth continued as the Hamburg Towers kept their noses slightly ahead as Frankfurt continued to stay with them. Parsons could have won the game, but he was 2 seconds to late to getting the basket. Hamburg came out strong getting that continued fine effort from the guard terror as Lottie and Stove connected for the 54-50 advantage. But Frankfurt always had an answer as Hepa contributed 4 points and Frankfurt trailed only 54-52. Frankfurt then found some instant energy going on a swift 6-0 run as Domask and Einaras Tubutis let it rain three´s as Frankfurt snatched the lead back 59-58. But that was only momentarily as Hamburg went on a 6-1 run to lead 64-60. Ivey and Stove as usual scored with off balance treats that never look easy, while ex University of Missouri (NCAA) guard Jordan Barrett also joined the guard terror party with a fine floater. The mini runs continued to go back and forth as walking bucket and scoring in bunches master Malik Parson took matters into his own hands and scored 7 unanswered points including a trey for the 67-66 Frankfurt lead with less than a minute remaining. But Hamburg had nerves of steel as despite being in a different hostile living room, they always had an answer. Ivey dropped a clutch trey for the 69-67 lead with 19 seconds remaining. Instead of going for the three to win, Frankfurt decided to go for 2 as Theodore scored to tie the game at 69-69. Hamburg had one last chance, but Brae Ivey slipped and lost the ball, but Parsons got it to late as he sped over center court as time ran out before his shot was taken. “Going into overtime like that was tough for us. I slipped on the play and lost the ball. I thought the refs had done a good job in the game. That was my mistake. You live and learn from that”, expressed Brae Ivey. “We could of won. They had some luck with 50/50 balls and rebounds, but we fought together and never gave up”, said Timo Lanmueller. Frankfurt shot 38% from the field and 25% from outside and had 36 rebounds and 13 turnovers while the Hamburg Towers shot 41% from the field and 28% from outside and had 42 rebounds and 13 turnovers.

Einaras Tubutis from downtown

In the overtime period, both teams took good care of the ball suffering no turnovers and punched back in the first possessions, but the Hamburg Towers then took control and never looked back making the plays while Frankfurt didn´t. German Osaro Rich who once played with medi Bayreuth and Tubutis traded baskets as the game was tied 71-71. Parsons then made a runner, but Kuath made another big dunk to dead lock the game at 73-73. Hamburg then decided the game with a ruthless 6-2 run to lead 81-75 and never looked back. Ivey who could plaster “clutch shot” on his forehead and nobody would disagree hit a three pointer while Rich and Lottie scored on drives. The arena got quieter except for the Towers bench that could slowly smell victory. Jordan Theodore added a big rainbow three pointer to cut the lead down to 81-78 with 58 seconds remaining. However Hamburg added a free throw by Stove to get that vital 4 point cushion. Theodore then missed a shot and Ivey iced the win with free throws. “We just made the plays. In a situation like OT, it doesn´t come down to tactics anymore, but the best players just have to make plays. I´m blessed that we have teammates that have trust in myself and others to take these shots”, said Brae Ivey. “Ivey and Lotte punished us hitting tough shots. We didn´t defend as well as we should of”, stated Timo Lanmueller. The Hamburg Towers were led by Brae Ivey with 18 points while Jonathan Stove added 17 points and Jaizec Lottie 15 points while the Frankfurt Skyliners were led by Malik parson with 15 points while Marcus Domask had 12 points and Jordan Theodore 11 points and 6 assists. The Hamburg Towers shot 44% from the field and 31% from outside and had 47 rebounds and 13 turnovers while the Frankfurt Skyliners shot 39% from the field and 25 % from outside and had 38 rebounds and 13 turnovers.