Heroes Of Tomorrow defeat Polar Bears and are again fourth outright

The Sunday evening could not have gone better. The Heroes Of Tomorrow beat Bremerhaven Polar Bears by 84:74 to secure fourth spot in the easyCredit German Basketball League with three matchdays remaining in the regular season. The team of Head Coach Raoul Korner also does not have to share that position with anyone: After Bamberg’s defeat in Frankfurt and Bonn’s loss in Würzburg, the Heroes Of Tomorrow are in fourth on their own with 20 wins. The evening in the Oberfrankenhalle was crowned by the announcement afterward that Andreas Seiferth had extended his contract. The center will wear the Würzburg jersey for the next two seasons.

The Heroes Of Tomorrow also got off to a good start in their penultimate home game of the regular season. A bucket from downtown by Nate Linhart and baskets by Andreas Seiferth and Steve Wachalski, who was in the starting five for the first time in place of the injured De’Mon Brooks, quickly put their side 7:0 ahead. However, Bremerhaven remained in contention, also because Jordan Hulls drained two threes to make it 8:9. Medi then kept the lead constant at three to five points, before Doreth added a bucket from beyond the arc 20 seconds before the end of the period to make it 20:13.

Two buckets by the second strong Bayreuth center, Assem Marei, gave the home side its first double-digit lead in the 12th minute (27:17). Fired on by that, the Heroes Of Tomorrow continued to score and, with solid defending, ensured that Bremerhaven slipped well behind. In particular Gabe York, who had rediscovered his shooting rhythm, caused headaches on Bremerhaven’s bench. With his third three in the period, he stretched the gap to 37:21 and even made it 45:25, Medi’s highest lead of the evening, with 90 seconds to go in the first half.

Both teams came back on court after the break with the score standing at 46:32. James Robinson opened the third period with a bucket from outside and the team of Head Coach Raoul Korner initially continued to play commandingly. The game only got tighter toward the middle of the quarter. The Polar Bears produced a 7:0 run to cut the deficit to 48:57, forcing Bayreuth to call a timeout. The team came back on court with new ideas and extended its lead again to 63:50 with points from Assem Marei, before Bremerhaven added the final bucket of the period.

The visitors got back into the game again in the final quarter with a new tactic in defense. They not only managed to block Medi’s path to the basket, but also score points at the other end. Michael Kessens made it 56:65 in the 32nd minute, then Jordan Hulls even reduced the gap to 66:73 in the 37th minute with his sixth three. With 77 seconds remaining on the clock, Geoffrey Groselle, the most conspicuous player for the visitors alongside Jordan Hulls, even closed it to 70:75. The fact that the momentum did not change hands was thanks to James Robinson, who struck back right away by draining a very important shot from downtown. It was then Nate Linhart who sealed the encounter by making two free throws to put his side 80:70 in front with 40 seconds to go before the final buzzer.