ratiopharm ulm opened their season with a resilient 90-86 victory at NINERS Chemnitz thanks to their two star teenagers Ben Saraf and Noa Essengue, who helped Ulm fight off multiple comebacks and get the win. Saraf scored 21 points and Essengue added 15 as Ulm gave new head coach Ty Harrelson a perfect gift on his 44th birthday. Jaron Johnson tallied 22 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists in the loss to give Chemnitz a 0-2 record to start the season.
Game Summary: Chemnitz started the game with intensity on defense after the loss to FC Bayern Munich and forced a number of Ulm turnovers and moved ahead 16-9. With teenager star prospect Ben Saraf coming into the game, Ulm found some rhythm and also caused some turnovers in a 12-0 run to take a 21-16 lead and the guests were up 24-18 after 10 minutes. Chemnitz pulled within 26-24 but Ulm started to pull away with Saraf leading the way for a 45-32 margin. Chemnitz trailed 47-38 at the break.
Chemnitz continued their comeback in the third quarter and an Aher Uguak triple cut the deficit to 50-49. Ulm had bent but not broken and would not give up the lead, finishing the third quarter strong to establish a 69-59 cushion after 30 minutes. Ulm punished a couple of Chemnitz miscues and the guests were up 79-66 early in the final frame. Chemnitz would not let their fans down and fought back to 81-80 on a Jaron Johnson dunk. Ulm’s other teenager Noa Essengue answered with a big three-pointer and added two more free throws for an 88-80 lead. Alfonso Plummer would decide the game with a layup to make it 90-83 with 13 seconds remaining.
Numbers Please: The statistics were pretty even though Ulm shot 53 percent from the field and Chemnitz hit only 49 percent of their shots, including just 24 percent from long range.
Player of the Game: The 18-year-old Israeli Ben Saraf came to Ulm with high expectations and he didn't disappoint, collecting 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in 25 minutes off the bench in his first game.
The Germans: Philipp Herkenhoff had 6 points and 6 rebounds for Ulm, Karim Jallow added 4 points and 4 rebounds and Nelson Weidemann chipped in 4 points. Jonas Richter picked up 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals for Chemnitz.
Also Newsworthy Part 1: Injuries were the reason why Jallow and Weidemann were limited in their production. Jallow went out with an injury midway through the second quarter and never returned while Nelson Weidemann suffered a right leg injury early in the second half and also didn't make it back into the game.
Also Newsworthy Part 2: Much of the attention will go to Ulm's teenagers but Alfonso Plummer stood out as well in his first game in Germany with 20 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 28 minutes off the bench. The Puerto Rico native played briefly with Paris Basketball in 2022-23 but is playing his first real campaign in Europe.
What's Up Next: Chemnitz already have two games played in the league and will next play in the league on Sunday October 6 at home against RASTA Vechta. Chemnitz’s next game will actually be their opener in the Basketball Champions League as they play at Italian side Bertram Derthona Basket on Wednesday October 2. Ulm meanwhile start their European season on Wednesday September 25 as they head to Polish champions Trefl Sopot in Round 1 of the BKT EuroCup. Ulm then have their league home opener on Saturday September 28 against Würzburg Baskets.
Video: Highlights of this game will be available soon on Dyn's website or here on Dyn's YouTube channel.
Anmerkung: In der Saison 2024/25 werden wie hier auch gelegentlich Nachberichte in englischer Sprache verfasst.
Note: During the 2024-25 season, there will occasionally be game reports published in English.
