Basketball: An outstanding Shane Gatling was not enough against Trier

BBC Bayreuth, which was massively weakened by injuries, had no chance in its 76:99 home defeat against league leaders RÖMERSTROM Gladiators Trier in the BARMER 2nd German Basketball League Pro A tonight.

The BBC started the game against the league leaders from the Moselle with Mohamed Sillah, Lenny Liedtke, Selim Fofana, Aaron Carver and Shane Gatling. Team captain Philip Jalalpoor and top scorer Esa Ahmad had to miss the game at short notice. The injury crisis therefore worsened, although Moritz Plescher was back for the first time after his injury layoff. Marios Giotis and Besnik Bekteshi were still missing. Trier, on the other hand, was largely able to field its best line-up.

Trier got off to a strong start and led 12:5 after just under four minutes. Selim Fofana struck back with a three-point play to make it 8:12, but two threes by Behnam Dehkordi then gave the visitors a ten-point lead (18:8) after just over five minutes. Shane Gatling then cut the deficit to 11:18 with a bucket from beyond the arc and Aaron Carver made it 13:18. The BBC now found a little more structure in offense. A three by Marco Rahn with just under two minutes left in the quarter reduced the deficit to 20:18. Shane Gatling equalized with a three to make it 21:21. Jordan Barnes ultimately gave Trier a 23:21 lead after the first period with two free throws.

The game continued to be dominated by the three-pointers. Trier led 26:24, then Shane Gatling put Bayreuth 27:26 in front with a three. Trier then pulled away again and took a 32:27 lead. The visitors led 32:31 midway through the second quarter, after which Selim Fofana put the BBC 33:32 in front again. It remained very tight. It was 38:38 after 17 minutes, but Trier finally went 43:38 in front after Bayreuth made mistakes and then 46:38 after a three by J.J. Mann. Shane Gatling, Bayreuth's best player in the first half with 20 minutes on court and 22 points, then tied the scores at 42:46 with a three and a free throw. Trier went in at half-time with the score at 46:42. The visitors drained 60 percent of their threes in the first 20 minutes, while the BBC only conceded two turnovers.

Trier stretched the gap to 50:44 at the start of the third quarter, after which the visitors' J.J. Mann was given an unsporting foul. As a result, the BBC reduced the deficit to 48:50. After just under 24 minutes, the visitors from the Moselle were 54:48 ahead again in front of a good 2,200 spectators. Jordan Barnes stretched Trier's lead to 57:48 with a three. More pressure was now exerted on Shane Gatling and the BBC's top scorer's strength gradually waned and he was allowed to sit on the bench for the first time at the end of the third quarter. Trier went into the final period 67:56 ahead and so eleven points in front. The BBC had to contend with six turnovers in the third quarter alone.

Marco Rahn cut the deficit to 62:71 with a three-point play for Bayreuth, but Trier was not deterred. An unsporting foul against Selim Fofana made it 79:62 for the visitors after 34 minutes. The league leaders played with aplomb and did a good job in defense to make it 89:65 for the club from the Moselle with just under three-and-a-half minutes remaining. Bayreuth now lacked a structured attack. Trier now played out the game in a relaxed, yet focused manner. 95:70 was the score with just under two minutes remaining. The outstanding Shane Gatling even scored another 40 points, but that did not change the Gladiators' commanding 99:76 victory. With 13 wins from 28 games, the BBC slips to tenth place in the table and now has at best a theoretical chance of making the playoffs.

Next Saturday, March 30, BBC Bayreuth plays away at Bozic Estriche Knights Kirchheim. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.