Bamberg Baskets with second thumping win in a row

The best comes at the end! Bamberg Baskets clearly outclassed playoff contender Rasta Vechta by 94:65 in the final home game of the main round. Woltmann's players overran the club from Lower Saxony, especially after the break: 29:9 in the third period and 49:20 in the second half - the crowd of around 4,800 celebrated the team after the final whistle.

Unfortunately, Bamberg's improved performance came a little too late. The team can no longer reach the play-offs under its own steam and will have to rely on defeats by Braunschweig and Hamburg on the final matchday if it wins. Yet Bamberg's display against Rasta Vechta was more than playoff-ready: In the first half, when Woltmann's players were still scrapping for every inch, basket and rebound, they had to concede a 0:10 run after leading 35:27. However, Bamberg closed the 5-point deficit to 45:45 within seconds before half-time thanks to its two top scorers Adrian Nelson and Trey Woodbury. And then came the second half, which Bamberg found "tongue-tickling": A lightning start with two threes by Justine Gray, then Nelson added two lay-ups and a free throw to make it 56:46. That finally gave Bamberg a sense of security; it was on the heels of the club from Lower Saxony in defense and made every shot difficult. And they were fluid, fast and varied in front, sometimes draining threes and making some remarkable dunks that had the crowd on the edge of their seats - Bamberg was on a roll in offense. By the end of the third quarter, Bamberg was already 20 points ahead - and, unlike some of its squandered leads in the season so far, it finally exuded the confidence to skillfully hold on to such a lead over time. Filip Stanic, EJ Onu and Zach Copland steadily increased Bamberg's lead until the end of the game.

Arne Woltmann (Head Coach Bamberg Baskets) commented: "The second half was our best of the season defensively! We were much more aggressive, rotated very well and talked a lot. It felt like every player had a third hand at his disposal. And when you get stops, the offense is easier. Then you don't have to worry about every basket, but can play very relaxed."

Bamberg has to win its final game of the main round away at EWE Baskets Oldenburg on Sunday, May 12, 2024, starting at 3:30 p.m.