Basketball: Derby win! Coburg tames Erfurt Lions

In the second Franconian-Thuringian derby of the season, BBC Coburg won 95:86 at Basketball Lions Erfurt. With a strong 31 assists, Coburg not only produced a particularly team-oriented performance, but also won the head-to-head tie against Erfurt. The BBC's top scorer was shooting guard Gabriel Kuku with 23 points. In addition, captain Sven Lorber scored a career-best 22 points in the ProB.

Head Coach Patrick Seidel was visibly satisfied with his team after the derby win: "I'm very happy that I was able to substitute everyone today and that everyone gave their input right away. Overall, it was a great team performance today. We played a lot of zone in defense today, which we rarely do otherwise, but that was necessary today against Erfurt's big players so that we could control them. That also helped us a lot, especially with our runs in the second and final quarter. We definitely deserved to win and the fact that we also took the head-to-head win is very good for us and I'm really proud of the boys because we did it as a team today. Many thanks to our great fans! There was a really great atmosphere in the arena, and you pushed us throughout the game, which helped us a lot!"

In a derby dominated by offense, it was initially the Lions who were able to open up a double-digit gap for the first time in the second period after an evenly poised first quarter. However, it did not take long for the visitors to respond. Coburg countered with three successful threes in a row and an and one by Sven Lorber to take a narrow two-point lead into the break.

The game remained tight in the third quarter. Everything was heading towards an exciting crunch time, which the spectators in the packed Riethsporthalle were treated to. Meanwhile, Erfurt got off to the better start in the final period. With an 11:0 start, the home side recaptured the lead and went 74:68 in front with six minutes remaining. However, the BBC did not give up and fought its way back into contention. Coburg regained the lead with four minutes remaining thanks to a three by the brilliant Gabriel Kuku and did not let it slip away until the final buzzer. Adrian Petkovic and captain Sven Lorber also secured the head-to-head tie for their team at the free throw line. The win in the derby means the BBC is now fourth in the table, one win behind the club from Thuringia, although Coburg still has a game in hand.

BBC Coburg's next home game is scheduled for Saturday evening, February 17. The HUK-Coburg Arena will host the Fellbach Flashers, who are currently in mid-table and do not want to miss the Playoffs!