Basketball: Too many 2nd chances in the final quarter cost medi bayreuth the game against Braunschweig

For medi bayreuth it unfortunately came to nothing with the third victory this season. Against the Basketball Löwen Braunschweig the Bayreuth team lost on Saturday evening in front of 2,714 spectators in the Oberfrankenhalle with 76:77. Particularly bitter of the 7th matchday in the easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga is the fact that medi had the lead for almost the entire game.

The start of the game was initially very low-scoring and after captain Bastian Doreth had to leave the court after just over a minute due to injury, medi fans already feared the worst. Until the score of 8:8, the game could have gone either way, but then Head Coach Lars Masell called a timeout and from then on things went smoothly for the medi team. In the middle of the first quarter, our team was already leading 17:8, so that Jesus Ramirez was forced to ask his team for a timeout. However, the Spaniard's new attitude did little to change the previous picture, because medi continued to score effectively, especially in the person of Ignas Sargiunas, and was thus able to win the first period 24:8.

The medi players did not let up in the second quarter either, but continued to show their great fighting heart, so that they were able to extend the lead to 26:8. However, the Lions from Braunschweig fought their way back into the game again and again and were able to reduce the lead to 15:26 with a 7:0 run. Although the medi lead melted down to ten points every now and then, they didn't let the Braunschweig team get any closer in the first half and so they went into the dressing room for the halftime talk with a 41:30 lead.

With a lot of willpower in their luggage, the Lions came back from halftime and demanded even more from our team. Point by point, they now came closer and could even shorten the gap to 40:47 with a 10:0 run. With one minute left to play, Kalif Young missed two free throws, giving the Lions a chance to regain the lead. Head Coach Jesus Ramirez's squad knew how to take advantage of that as well, taking a 75-74 lead with 29 seconds left on a three-point play by Braydon Hobbs.

Lars Masell (Head Coach medi bayreuth):

"First of all, congratulations to Braunschweig and to Coach Ramirez. We knew it would be a very hard-fought game and that it would be decided on rebounding. We gave up seven offensive rebounds in the last quarter, which in my eyes was the key for Braunschweig to get back into the game. Our problem was really the rebounds. It's a tough loss now that we have to deal with and keep looking forward."

After the duel against the Lions, it's off to the Wolfsbau next! Next Saturday medi will host SYNTAINICS MBC in the Stadthalle Weißenfels on matchday 8. Jump to the A9 derby is at 18:00 clock.