BBC Coburg wins against RheinStars Cologne after overtime

The new year has begun for BBC COBURG as the old one ended – extremely successfully. A 100:101 (40:48) win on the road at RheinStars Cologne after overtime in a turbulent encounter means it has now moved up into fifth in the BARMER ProB South 2nd German Basketball League.

The players of Head Coach Ulf Schabacker needed a while to start ticking over in the sold-out ASV Arena. The home side got off to a lightning start with a run of eight points without reply, but then Chase Adams from outside and the foul line and Kevin Franceschi with a lay-up turned the game around (8:12 after five minutes).

At the start of the second period, the visitors managed to open up a double-digit gap for the first time thanks to buckets by Christopher Wolf and Dino Dizdarevic (21:32 in the 12th minute). It was also the latter who added a lay-up just before the half-time buzzer to ensure the club from Upper Franconia went in 40:48 ahead.

However, that lead did not last for long after the break. Spurred on by the strong point guard and new signing Vladimir Nemcok, as well as by the U.S. forward Tucker Haymond, Cologne caught up point by point and even went 49:48 in front after 23 minutes. Both sides traded blows in the ensuing end-to-end affair, in which both teams landed one blow after the other, but neither went down.

When Christopher Wolf, who turned in another strong display, made it 76:83 with two minutes left in regular time, it seemed that the pendulum had swung in the BBC’s favor. Yet the bottom-of-the-table club from the Rhineland clawed its way back and managed to force the game into overtime from the foul line (84:84 after 40 minutes).

Coburg had to play without their leader Chase Adams due to the fact that he had committed five personal fouls. It therefore looked like the momentum was on Cologne’s side – and the club that was relegated from the ProA division last season went 100:95 ahead through youngster Benedict van Laack with sixty seconds remaining. Yet BBC COBURG did not let itself become disconcerted. Walde with a lay-up and center Max von der Wippel reduced the deficit to 100:99. Things then became hectic: A traveling violation by Cologne was followed by a foul on Dino Dizdarevic – and the BBC’s outstanding scorer (25 points) sealed his side’s eighth win of the season by draining his two free throws (100:101 after 45 minutes).