After a slow start into the 2025-2026 season where the Skyliners Juniors were a poor 3-10, the club has rebounded in 2026 having a 7-1 record and are making a real push for the Pro B South playoffs. It is no secret that the 10-11 team have had a real scoring boost from new American Desmond Watson who was averaging 27,0ppg while experienced ex Pro A player Moses Poelking had been a force under the basket at both ends. Their next opponent were the 11-11 Ahorn Camp Baskets who like Frankfurt wanted to secure a playoff spot and came into the game in 7th place, but had lost 3 of their last 4 games. On a rare late Friday night game Frankfurt welcomed Speyer and Pro B legend DJ Woodmore who had played in the BCM gym the last decade and played his 229th Pro B and it was his 213th Pro B game where he scored in double figures netting 13 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Skyliners Juniors won 91-74. It was a contest that was at eyelevel for 3 quarters, but a crazy buzzer beater trey from Lukas Smazak (188-G-2007) to end the third quarter paralized the Ahorn Camp Baskets which led to a 27-16 fourth quarter that allowed Frankfurt to win. ‘We didn’t defend well in the first quarter and then stepped it up more in the second quarter. We upped our game in the second half. We moved the ball better, made tough shots and played transition. We also stuck together which was important’, stressed Skyliner Junior Lukas Smazak. The Ahorn Camp Baskets played well for three quarters, but also lost energy in the fourth quarter as that Smazak buzzer beater hurt them mentally. ‘We ran out of gas and fell flat in the second half. They hit shots and the flood gates opened up and that was that’, stressed Ahorn Camp Baskets guard DJ Woodmore.

Leif Zentgraf at the FT line

The first quarter was a real scoring affair as 49 points were scored in total and the Ahorn Camp Baskets had the slim 25-24 advantage after 10 minutes. The Skyliners Juniors had the quick 5-3 lead as rookie Ohio native Desmond Watson made a jumper and German Next Gen player Jamie Edoka hurled down a trey. However the guests from Speyer found their rhythm rapidly as lock down defender Dennis Diala and Austrian guard Felix Angerbauer connected for trey’s for the 10-7 advantage. The game turned into a game of small runs and quick lead changes as Leif Zentraf scored 5 unanswered points to give Frankfurt the 15-14 lead. Watson free throws gave Frankfurt the 17-14 lead. Both teams were strutting with a lot of self confidence as Speyer now had some added burst of energy going on a 7-0 run to lead 21-17. In the run DJ Woodmore who tested his 27% from outside stroked home a trey and Angerbauer executed on transition. Speyer also was able to hurt Frankfurt with their drive as Woodmore and German Oskar Humpert scored for the 25-19 lead. However Frankfurt didn’t wilt in the last minute going on a 5-0 run to trail 25-24 after one quarter. German Joshua Zentgraf made a lay in after getting the fancy over the head dime from Watson while German Dusan Nikolic made a 2 handed dunk. The Skyliners Juniors shot 62% from the field and 50% from outside and had 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers while the Ahorn Camp Baskets shot 50% from the field and 43% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 2 turnovers. ‘It was a quarter of two teams trading baskets with no real big defensive plays. Nobody was able to start a run. Both teams moved the ball well and there were some good individual plays’, stated Eintracht Frankfurt (NBBL) head coach Thore Bethke.

David Aichele at the FT line

In the second quarter there was a little less scoring and 7 lead changes as the Skyliners Juniors had the slim 41-40 advantage going into the break. The Skyliners Juniors got going right away escaping on a 5-0 run as German center Moses Poelking made a lay in and then a monster block which led to a trey from Ivan the universal genius Ivan Crnjac for the 29-25 Frankfurt advantage. Edoka made a nifty extra pass for the dime. ‘It looked like Jamie was going to shoot from a tough spot, but Ivan yelled ball. Jamie was able to pass it in the last second. It was a nice play’, stressed Thore Bethke. However the Ahorn Camp Baskets were patient and found fortune going on a 10-2 run to gain the lead back at 35-31. In the run, Speyer got big input form their bench as German Joshua Kreilein added 5 points while Woodmore added a trey and ex Koblenz guard Ade-Eri made a lay in. Both teams then punched back and forth as there were 5 lead changes. Frankfurt received added three’s from Watson and Nikolic while Watson also dropped a lay in while Speyer got a trey from Angerbauer and lay in from Humpert. ‘There were few fouls in the quarter. Poelking did a good job when he was in, but when he was out, Frankfurt had problems on the boards as Ade Eri did a good job getting inside. Frankfurt needed to match him better’, said Thore Bethke. The Skyliners Juniors shot 50% from the field and 45% from the three point line and had 16 rebounds and 6 turnovers while the Ahorn Camp Baskets shot 43% from the field and 38% from the three point line and had 8 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

Desmond Watson with the runner

The third quarter continued to be a very tight game where the Skyliners Juniors never looked behind them keeping the lead, but never leading by more than 4 points until the last shot by Smazak that proved to be the turning point of the game. Alvin Oyiya and David Aichele produced for their teams as Onyia got to the free throw line twice and scored while the big man Aichele made a free throw and lay in making a big heads up play catching an airball by Ade-Eri to trail 47-46. The young bucks of Frankfurt Edoka and Crnjac executed well while Ade-Eri really carried Speyer as he remained non stop aggressive getting to the free throw line 3 consecutive times and made a lay in to dead lock the game at 54-54. He never got a real chance in Koblenz and now can show his abilities in Speyer. Frankfurt continued to have their neck in front as energizer Dusan Nikolic came from the bench and gave instant energy with 6 points including 2 on drives and one with his left hand. Speyer got some good support from 2023 JBBL finalist Noah Koch who made an acrobatic lay in, but Frankfurt still led 61-58. Then came the turning point of the game as Smazak launced a deep trey that fell at the buzzer as the Skyliners Juniors led 64-58. ‘I saw them put their head down at center court as I came with the ball and there was one second to go. I let it go and I knew it was going in. That shot hurt them mentally. We went from 3 to 6 up’, said Lukas Smazak. ‘That Smazak shot really shifted the momentum. If we would have been more focused for 2 more seconds then it wouldn’t have been a 6 point lead. We had our chances and stayed with them’, commented DJ Woodmore. The Skyliners Juniors shot 47% from the field and 40% from the parking lot and had 25 rebounds and 6 turnovers while the Ahorn Camp Baskets shot 43% from the field and 30% from the parking lot and had 29 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

Felix Angerbauer at the FT line

In the fourth quarter the Skyliners took the Smazak buzzer beater as momentum and began with a lethal 12-4 run to slam the door shut on Speyer and from there managed the lead until the end. Frankfurt received big three’s from German Leif Zentgraf and Smazak as well as lay in’s from them for the 76-62 advantage. The Skyliners Juniors heightened their defensive pressure and strung along some stops benefited with a few steals that led to transition buckets. Speyer then strung along 3 consecutive stops, but their three stops at the free throw line only produced 4 points, but they trailed only 76-66. But Speyer was running out of steam as the Skyliners Juniors now ultimately closed out the win with a brutal 14-3 run to lead 91-69. Frankfurt demonstrated precision shooting as Edoka, Smazak and Crnjac all dropped three pointers and Poelking unleashed a dunk for good measure to give Frankfurt their 11th win of the season. Smazak’s trey was a desperation shot that somehow fell for him. ‘I had 2 seconds on the clock to shoot it. I didn’t know this was going in, but I was hoping’, smiled Lukas Smazak. The guests closed out the game with a 5-0 run as Angerbauer hit another trey and dropped free throws, but it was too little too late. ‘We did a good job on defensive rebounds and we defended aggressively and moved the ball well. They were tired at the end. We stuck together. We have to keep the momentum for the next games’, warned Lukas Smazak. ‘They found their rhythm and started to hit shots. They played great defense and we got flushed. We got turnovers and they made us pay with made shots’, said DJ Woodmore. The Skyliners Juniors had 6 guys score in double figures and were led by Jamie Edoka with 16 points while Lukas Smazak added 14 points and Desmond Watson 13 points. The Ahorn Camp Baskets were led by Dam Ade-Eri with 16 points while Felix Angerbauer had 14 points and Dj Woodmore added 13 points. The Skyliners Juniors shot 50% from the field and 46% from outside and had 38 rebounds and 10 turnovers while the Ahorn Camp Baskets shot 41% from the field and 30% from outside and had 34 rebounds and 10 turnovers.