Basketball: BBC Bayreuth lose after extra time in Trier

BBC Bayreuth lost 88:96 after overtime in the second game of the double-header at RÖMERSTROM Gladiators Trier and now have a balanced record of three wins and three losses after six games.

Just two days after the win in Jena, the BBC went into the match with the starting five of Moritz Plescher, Lenny Liedtke, Selim Fofana, Kristian Sjolund and Aaron Carver. Head coach Mladen Drijencic expected his team to defend aggressively with the self-confidence from Friday's win behind them and, in view of the expected physical Trier style of play, to bring speed into the game and run the ball quickly.

The RÖMERSTROM Gladiators started with a quick 10:2 lead and forced Mladen Drijencic to take his first time-out after only two and a half minutes. Centre Maik Zirbes, who has been internationally successful in the past, was the central figure in Trier's game and increased the lead to 12:2, then the first Bayreuth three-pointer was made by Kristian Sjolund at 5:12. Bayreuth then came close, after a three-pointer by Moritz Plescher it was only 12:13, two free-throw goals by Shane Gatling gave the BBC a 14:13 lead. Bayreuth went into the first quarter break with a 19:17 lead.

Selim Fofana increased the lead to 22:17 for the BBC with a three-pointer right at the beginning of the second period. After two quick threes by Lenny Liedtke and Aaron Carver, it was 28:23 for Bayreuth, then Trier came up and reduced the score to 27:28. The BBC remained ahead. The score was 33:29 after 16 minutes. Esa Ahmad put the BBC in front 39:34. Nevertheless, the hosts stayed in it. The very intense game went into half-time with a score of 41:38 for Bayreuth.

After one and a half minutes in the third quarter, the lead changed, Trier was now 44:43 in front. The lead now changed several times. Trier finally went into the final quarter with a 63:60 lead.

Shane Gatling equalised with a three-pointer in the fourth period. However, Trier then took a slightly clearer lead with 68:63 after another three-pointer by 21-year-old Evans Rapieque. The score was 77:69 with five minutes to go. With 81:75 for Trier, it went into crunch time. Two free throws by Selim Fofana brought the score down to 81:77, then a three-point play by JJ Mann made it 84:77 for the Moselle city team. Kristian Sjolund was also fouled out. Bayreuth, however, did not give up and came back to 82:84 through Aaron Carver and a three-pointer by Selim Fofana. Shane Gatling then evened the score at 84:84 in the heart-stopping final - it went into overtime.

In overtime, Trier took an 88:86 lead. Bayreuth committed an unnecessary turnover and Moritz Krimmer made it 90:86 with 110 seconds left. A free-throw shot by Marcus Graves made it 91:86. Aaron Carver hit another basket, but a three-pointer by Marcus Graves and a basket by Moritz Krimmer made it 96:88 in favour of the hosts.

Mladen Drijencic said: "I didn't expect to win today, but in the end I am a bit disappointed with the way the game went. In the end, I'm proud of my boys, especially for their fighting spirit and the way they equalised at the end of regulation time. Maybe our legs got a bit heavy in extra time, but that's no excuse. We are sorely missing Philip Jalalpoor, who is still injured, at the point guard position."

Next Sunday, 5 November, the BBC will host the Uni Baskets Münster in the Oberfrankenhalle Bayreuth.