Brose Bamberg wins tournament in Trento

Brose Bamberg defeated EA7 Emporio Armani Milano by 92:85 to clinch victory in the tournament in Trento. One day after the narrow semi-final win over the hosts, the German champions proved that they had recuperated well and, after initial difficulties in the first period, laid the foundation for victory in the next two. Four Bamberg players got into double digits, with Fabien Causeur finishing as top scorer on 18 points. Nicolò Melli notched up 15 and was chosen as the tournament’s best player.

As in the semi-final, Andrea Trinchieri began with Fabien Causeur, Nicolò Melli, Nikos Zisis, Darius Miller and Leon Kratzer. However, the first six points went to Milan: Rakim Sanders, the former Bamberg player, drained two buckets from outside (0:6 in the 2nd minute). Nikos Zisis opened the scoring for Brose with a half-distance shot, then Fabien Causeur bagged two threes in a row shortly afterwards. Midway through the period, Sanders added a bucket from beyond the arc and Causeur made a three-point play (11:11 in the 5th minute). In particular, Milan’s long-distance shooters posed a few problems for Bamberg, although its defense was tighter toward the end of the quarter. Darius Miller made a ripping bucket just before the end, but was fouled in the process – the three-point play meant Brose trailed 17:18 after the first ten minutes.

It was also Miller who got the second period off to a successful start and gave Brose the lead for the first time with a three-pointer (20:18 in the 11th minute). The following minutes then belonged to Vladimir Veremeenko. The new signing scored four straight points to put his team in front and Ali Nikolic added another bucket (26:19 in the 13th minute). Midway through the quarter, Milan began making the threes again, but Louis Olinde conjured up an and 1 to make it 31:28. Milan’s Sanders then showed what he is capable of in the next 60 seconds. Five points by him – taking his haul to 15 – reduced the gap to just one (33:32 in the 17th minute). At the break, Brose led by seven after Nikos Zisis drained a buzzer-beating bucket from outside (45:38). However, Bamberg’s top scorer in the first half was Fabien Causeur, who scored ten of his twelve points up to then in the first quarter.

Brose came out better after the break. Causeur added a lay-up and Melli two free throws to ensure that Bamberg opened up a double-digit lead for the first time (49:38 in the 21st minute). The German champions were now more solid in defense and hardly gave Milan any open shots. The consequence was a run of 8:0 and the first points for the Italian club after more than two-and-a-half minutes: 53:41. Brose kept on the pressure up to midway through the period: a three by Melli and another from Zisis (59:41 in the 25th minute). Only Rakim Sanders was able to put up any resistance for Milan in this spell. After his bucket from outside, however, Miller struck back with two points and Harris with two free throws (63:49 in the 27th minute). After 30 minutes, Bamberg’s lead was twelve points (69:57).

Rakim Sanders’ sixth bucket from beyond the arc opened the final period, after which Nikolic scored for Brose (71:60 in the 31st minute). In the following minutes, it was increasingly clear that the preparation for the new season had left its mark on both teams. Slips in concentration meant that the flow of play was repeatedly interrupted. However, Brose Bamberg still managed to maintain a twelve-point lead midway through the quarter thanks to a lay-up by Causeur: 77:65. Shortly after that, Lucca Staiger finally managed to drain a three at his fifth attempt (80:68 in the 37th minute). Kalnietis cut the gap to six points for Milan with a bucket from outside with 90 seconds to go, but Brose was able to hold on and run out winners by 92:85. The team traveled back to Bamberg right after the game. They will have one-and-a-half days to recuperate before Andrea Trinchieri summons them for the next training unit on Tuesday evening.