What a week of action as FC Bayern Munich defended their title at the German Cup SIEGMUND TOP FOUR by defeating ratiopharm ulm in front of their home fans in Munich. Bayern had rolled past Bamberg Baskets in the Semi-Finals and Ulm fought by ALBA BERLIN. In the end, Bayern won the trophy and point guard Sylvain Francisco was named MVP. The week also saw Bayern take over first place in the easyCredit BBL with a thrilling comeback win over previous leaders NINERS Chemnitz.
In this section, we break out our English language skills and inform you about the latest news from the German easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga. If you’re short on time but still want your fill of Germany’s top basketball league then you are in the right place. Every week David Hein (www.heinnews.com) brings you up-to-date in German basketball – the easyCredit BBL short and sweet:
Bayern down Ulm to defend German Cup title, win 5th cup trophy
FC Bayern Munich defended their German Cup SIEGMUND TOP FOUR title in front of their home fans as they downed reigning league champions ratiopharm ulm 81-65 for their fifth cup trophy in club history. Bayern added the 2024 triumph to their crowns from 1968, 2018, 2021 and 2023, while Ulm continue to wait for the second cup following 1996 as SSV Ulm. It was Ulm who had the stronger first quarter, limiting Bayern’s offense and leading 18-9 after 10 minutes. Bayern turned things around with a 26-10 second quarter and led 35-28 at the break. Bayern pushed the lead to 12 points midway through the third quarter and were up by 12 points going into the fourth quarter. But Ulm never were able to make a comeback push. Bayern dominated the rebounding 42-26 and shot 60.7 percent on two-pointers compared to just 39.3 percent for Ulm. Sylvain Francisco led the way with 17 points and 4 assists as he claimed the Top Four MVP trophy. Andi Obst hit 3 three-pointers in scoring 13 points and Semi-Finals star Serge Ibaka added 9 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. LJ Figueroa and Juan Nunez both scored 17 points and Pacome Dadiet had 12 points for Ulm while Trevion Williams was held to just 6 points.
Bayern’s Sylvain Francisco named SIEGMUND TOP FOUR MVP
FC Bayern Munich’s Sylvain Francisco was named as the Most Valuable Player of the German Cup SIEGMUND TOP FOUR after guiding his team to the defense of their crown. The point guard was the leader in the final as he scored a team-high 17 points with 3 three-pointers while also collecting 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block against ratiopharm ulm. In the Semi-Finals blowout win over Bamberg Baskets, the French playmaker collected 9 points, 1 rebound and 2 steals in 15 minutes.
Trevion Williams carries Ulm past Berlin into German Cup final
ratiopharm ulm booked their spot in the final of the German Cup SIEGMUND TOP FOUR after using a fourth quarter spurt to get past ALBA BERLIN 87-79. A tight game throughout saw Berlin open their largest lead of 8 points early the fourth quarter. And Ulm were still down 7 points with 6:30 minutes to go when Tommy Klepeisz hit a three-pointer and a minute later Martin Hermannsson came on for Matteo Spagnolo, the young Italian guard who had been carrying Berlin the last couple of minutes with a great all-around game. ALBA committed four turnovers in the next 3 minutes and Georginho De Paula scored 7 points as Ulm led by 4 points when Spagnolo came back on with 2 minutes to play. Spagnolo scored twice but Trevion Williams tallied Ulm’s final 10 points - 8 from the free throw line - and Ulm advanced to face FC Bayern Munich. Ulm out-shot Berlin 46.0 percent to 43.3 percent including 57.1 percent on two-pointers. Williams finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks while Klepeisz had 12 points, Karim Jallow scored 11 and De Paula chipped in 10 points and 6 assists. Spagnolo and Gabriele Procida both scored 14 points to pace Berlin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUe7ezFAngk
Bayern let Bamberg hang around for 15 minutes, ease into final
Fresh off taking over the lead in the easyCredit BBL earlier this week, FC Bayern Munich eased into the final of the German Cup SIEGMUND TOP FOUR by rolling past Bamberg Baskets 81-62 as the host team. Bamberg hung around for about 15 minutes before the German Cup reigning champions Bayern pulled away with a 20-2 run at the end of the first half, and it wasn’t close the rest of the way as Bayern moved one win from their fifth title. The winning team committed only 10 turnovers and held Bamberg to just 40.7 percent shooting including 20.8 percent from long range. No Bayern player played 22 minutes with Serge Ibaka being the leading scorer with 15 points and 9 rebounds while Sylvain Francisco and Niels Giffey both had 9 points. Bamberg were led by Zach Copeland with 19 points as no other Bamberg player scored more than 8 points.
Wild finish brings back Bayern, beat Chemnitz for first place, ready for German Cup
FC Bayern Munich used a wild 27-4 fourth quarter run to come back from 14 points down and beat NINERS Chemnitz 89-80 at home to take over first place with their 12th straight victory in a dress rehearsal for the German Cup. Chemnitz took control of the game with a 32-17 second quarter for a 15-point lead and the lead grew to 19 points in the third quarter. Chemnitz were still leading by 14 points with 8 minutes to go before Bayern went the big run with 6 three-pointers to move to 16-3 while Chemnitz fell to 17-4. Bayern out-rebounded Chemnitz 36-22 which led to a 19-8 advantage on second chance points, and the hosts made 26-of-30 free throws compared to 7-of-9 foul shots for Chemnitz. Isaac Bonga paced Bayern with 18 points - including 3 three-pointers in the fourth quarter run, and fellow reserve Sylvain Francisco had 14 points with Serge Ibaka chipping in 12 points and 7 rebounds. Kaza Kajami-Keane was Chemnitz’s top scorer with 15 points and 6 rebounds while Aher Uguak had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
Ulm hold lead to snap losing skid, win dress rehearsal for German Cup
ratiopharm ulm had the perfect dress rehearsal for the German Cup SIEGMUND TOP FOUR by beating Veolia Towers Hamburg 83-70 at home to snap a three-game losing streak. Ulm came into the game having wasted leads of 16 and 21 points in their last two games. Ulm led multiple times by 10 points in the second quarter and built a 19-point lead in the third period. Hamburg could only get within 9 points and Ulm moved to 14-7 and Hamburg lost their fourth game of the last five for an 11-9 record. Ulm committed only 9 turnovers and forced 24 Hamburg turnovers. Trevion Williams and Georginho De Paula both scored 15 points and combined for 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks while Juan Nunez added 9 points and 7 assists. VJ King was Hamburg’s top scorer with 15 points.
Braunschweig rally from 19 points to beat Wolves for 5th straight win
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig rallied from 19 points down to beat SYNTAINICS MBC 88-81 at home for their fifth straight win. The game was close for the first 16 minutes before SYNTAINICS MBC went on a 23-2 run to take a 19 point lead early in the third quarter. Braunschweig answered with a 27-8 surge to even the game in the same quarter before finishing the game with a 17-6 spurt to move to 11-11. SYNTAINICS MBC have now lost four straight games for a 6-15 record. Braunschweig did a good job getting easy points with a 20-8 advantage on fast break points while holding the guests to just 42.5 percent shooting. TJ Crockett led Braunschweig with 23 points, Jilson Bango collected 21 points and 11 rebounds and Ahmaad Rorie added 10 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Johnathan Stove paced the guests with 24 points and 8 rebounds, Jhonathan Dunn had 19 points and John Bryant tallied 14 points and 11 rebounds for the 117th double-double in his career.
ALBA use big fourth quarter to run away from Göttingen, get ready for Cup Top Four
ALBA BERLIN won their dress rehearsal for the German Cup SIEGMUND TOP FOUR as they used a 25-2 fourth quarter run to grab a 108-85 victory over BG Göttingen. Berlin led by 15 points in the second quarter and the hosts were still up by 12 points midway through the third quarter. Göttingen temporarily took the lead with 6 minutes left before ALBA unleashed the big run for their fifth win in the last six games for a 13-5 record and Göttingen fell to 6-13. ALBA out-rebounded Göttingen 32-20 and out-scored the guests 52-30 on points in the paint. ALBA also made 26-of-29 free throws compared to 12-of-14 for Göttingen. Gabriele Procida and Matteo Spagnolo both scored 16 points, Malte Delow had 13 points while Jonas Mattisseck and Johannes Thiemann were among four players with 10 points. Bodie Hume scored 17 points for Göttingen and Umoja Gibson added 15 points and 9 assists.
Third quarter carries Bamberg past Heidelberg with new coach ahead of German Cup
Bamberg Baskets won their first game with Arne Woltmann as head coach as they beat MLP Academics Heidelberg 98-83 ahead of the German Cup SIEGMUND TOP FOUR. Heidelberg led by as many as 11 points in the first half but watched as Bamberg took over with a 31-12 third quarter. Bamberg have won two of the last three games for an 8-13 record while Heidelberg fell to 3-18 after their fifth straight loss. Bamberg shot 50.0 percent from three-point range and held Heidelberg to just 43.8 percent shooting for the game with a 14-2 advantage in fast break points. Malik Johnson led Bamberg with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals, Adrian Nelson had 17 points, Trey Woodbury collected 16 points and 6 rebounds and Karsten Tadda chipped in 10 points and 4 assists. Jeffrey Carroll scored 28 points off the Heidelberg bench with 8 three-pointers, and Elijah Childs picked up 15 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Vechta bounce back from Berlin loss, keep Rostock winless in 2024
RASTA Vechta went into the national team break on a high note as they bounced back from their loss to ALBA BERLIN by defeating ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES 99-72 on the road to keep the hosts still looking for their first victory in 2024. Vechta used a 13-2 run to take a double-digit lead in the third quarter and the lead was up to 15 points with 5 minutes left. Vechta have won seven of their last nine games for a 14-7 record and Rostock dropped their eighth straight game for a 6-14 record. Vechta out-rebounded the number one rebounding team in the league 47-31 including 17 offensive rebounds, which they turned into a 21-4 advantage in second chance points. Ryan Schwieger led Vechta with 18 points off the bench while Tommy Kuhse had 17 points, Joel Aminu picked up 14 points and 8 rebounds and Chip Flanigan added 13 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Derrick Alston led all scorers with 25 points in a losing effort.
Rostock add guard depth with signing of Medford
ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES added some guard depth in their fight against relegation as they signef Lester Medford until the end of the season. The 30-year-old, who is known for his defensive skills and passing game, will be playing in Germany for the first time after previous playing in Hungary, Switzerland, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Latvia, Poland and Italy.
Bonn keep pressure on playoffs spots with win at Tübingen
Telekom Baskets Bonn kept up the pressure on the teams in the playoffs spots by knocking off Tigers Tübingen 92-82 for their fourth straight win. Bonn wasted a 10-point second quarter lead and then took control with a 28-10 run spanning the final two quarters. Bonn moved to 14-8 in the top play-in place and Tübingen have dropped eight of the last nine games for a 5-16 record, including a 2-9 mark at home. Bonn forced 19 Tübingen turnovers and shot 64.4 percent on two-pointers. Brian Fobbs was Bonn’s top scorer with 20 points off the bench, Thomas Kennedy had 18 points and Sam Griesel added 15 points. Aatu Kivimäki led Tübingen with a double-double of 14 points and 10 assists and Erol Ersek and Georgios Kalaitzakis both had 12 points.
Livingston scores 26 points to help Würzburg end losing skid in Ludwigsburg
Würzburg Baskets solidified their spot among a top-four with a 94-91 victory at MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg which was their first win in Ludwigsburg since November 2018. Würzburg, who had lost eight of their last nine games against Ludwigsburg, jumped ahead by 13 points in the first quarter but the game was tied after 10 minutes. Ludwigsburg had a 10 point lead they wasted and were up by 8 points with 6 minutes left. Würzburg then went on an 18-7 run to take a three-point lead and Otis Livingston finished the deal with two free throws with 4 seconds to play. Würzburg have won four of their last five games for a 14-6 record and Ludwigsburg dropped to 13-8. Würzburg committed only 4 turnovers and made 25-of-28 free throws compared to 12 turnovers and 14-of-15 foul shots for Ludwigsburg. Livingston finished with 26 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in the win and Isaiah Washington had 16 points and Darius Perry added 14 points. Jayvon Graves did all he could but his 20 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists were not enough for Ludwigsburg.
Oldenburg roll past Crailsheim in return of Chapman
EWE Baskets Oldenburg remained in the fight for the playoffs as they rolled past HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim 80-58 in the return of Brekkott Chapman. Oldenburg gained control of the game with a 26-12 second quarter to snap a two-game losing streak for a 10-11 record. Crailsheim have dropped five of their last six games for a 4-17 mark, including a 1-10 road record. Oldenburg held Crailsheim to 32.3 percent including 13.8 percent. DeWayne Russell led the way with 18 points and 7 assists, Chaundee Brown had 12 points and Chapman finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds in his first game since late October. Tremmell Darden was Crailsheim’s leading scorer with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Player of the Week
Let’s just stay with the one round of regular season games and the Player of the Week for Round 21 is MLP Academics Heidelberg forward Jeffrey Carroll. He poured in 28 points on 10-of-13 shots including 8 three-pointers to go with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block for an efficiency of 35 against Bamberg Baskets.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Bennet Hundt, MLP Academics Heidelberg
Hundt had a strong game against Bamberg Baskets with 11 points and 4 assists.
G: Malte Delow, ALBA BERLIN
Delow played a major role in Berlin getting past BG Göttingen with 13 points, 2 assists and 1 steal. In the SIEGMUND TOP FOUR Semi-Finals against ratiopharm ulm, Delow chipped in 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals.
F: Joel Aminu, RASTA Vechta
Aminu knocked down 2 three-pointers for 14 points to go with 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal for Vechta versus ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES.
F: Isaac Bonga, FC Bayern Munich
Bonga was one of the big heroes in Bayern’s comeback win over NINERS Chemnitz as he scored 18 points - including 3 three-pointers in the big final run - to go with 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. In the SIEGMUND TOP FOUR, Bonga had 5 points, 2 assists and 5 steals against Bamberg Baskets and then chipped in 3 points, 5 rebounds - 4 of them offensive rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal against ratiopharm ulm.
F: Jonas Richter, NINERS Chemnitz
Richter had a strong effort in Chemnitz’s loss to FC Bayern Munich with 11 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists.
Young Guns
Johann Grünloh, 18, C, RASTA Vechta
Grünloh went to school earlier in the day and was driven separate from the team to the game at ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES and still picked up 6 points on 3-of-3 shooting, 4 rebounds and 4 blocks in 17:37 minutes.
Len Schoormann, 21, SG, EWE Baskets Oldenburg
Schoormann started against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim and collected 8 points on 2-of-5 shooting (2/4 threes) and 2-of-2 free throws in 20:53 minutes.
Sananda Fru, 20, PF, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Fru started against SYNTAINICS MBC and picked up 3 points on 1-of-1 three-point shooting, 3 rebounds and 1 steal in 17:34 minutes.
Germans Abroad
With this past weekend being cup weekend, let’s give a shout-out to the trio of Leon Kratzer, Michael Kessens and Sebastian Herrera who helped Paris Basketball win the first trophy in their club’s history by taking the French Leaders Cup with a 90-85 win over Nanterre.
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