2nd BBL: Coburg cannot topple the champion!

In an offensively dominated game, BBC Coburg lost to the Dragons Rhöndorf 104:97 on the 23rd matchday of the ProB South. The sleepy first half cost the Vestestadt team the chance for a better outcome in the duel of the two playoff contenders. For Coburg's head coach Patrick Seidel, the many defensive lapses in the first half were the main reason for the defeat. BBC's top scorer was captain Nico Wenzl with 21 points.

Without the ill Marlon Stephan, Coburg got off to a better start and quickly led 4:12. But after about four minutes of warm-up time, the talented offense of the Dragons got going. The team scored 13 points in just over two minutes and took the lead for the first time. The Dragons managed to build a small lead, but BBC initially stayed within striking distance and kept up the pace offensively. Tim Herzog even reduced the deficit to 34:32 at the beginning of the second quarter. But gradually, Coburg's defensive vulnerabilities became increasingly noticeable in the result. Up front, the shots didn't fall as regularly as at the beginning of the game, and at the back, the Vestestadt team rarely got a foot in the door. Rhöndorf pulled away with a 10:1 run and extended the lead further. The league's third-best offense in terms of points scored brought a total of 59 points to the scoreboard by halftime (59:43). The picture remained unchanged at the beginning of the second half. But after a timeout in the middle of the third quarter, Patrick Seidel's protégés found their offensive rhythm again. Especially Tobias Rotegaard ensured in this phase with three three-pointers that BBC reduced the deficit to single digits again. With an eight-point difference, they went into the final quarter, as Coburg also managed to get stops on defense. However, this changed with the start of the last ten minutes. Rhöndorf tried their luck more from the outside and successfully so. But as in the first quarter, BBC kept up offensively but did not come decisively closer. When the game seemed decided a minute before the end with a score of 100:90, Coburg came within 102:97 within 30 seconds, but in vain. The Vestestadt team could not reduce the deficit further, as the subsequent attempts did not find their way into the Rhöndorf basket.

Despite the bitter defeat against the champion, BBC still has the chance to qualify for the postseason in the remaining three games of the season. The upcoming home game against OrangeAcademy Ulm will take place next Sunday, March 30th, and is of enormous importance, as both teams are in the midst of the battle for one of the last tickets to the playoffs. Jump is at 16:00.