medi Bayreuth loses 82:100 on the road at RIESEN

The HEROES OF TOMORROW failed to strengthen their grip on a playoff berth on the 16th matchday of the easyCredit German Basketball League. A win in Ludwigsburg would have moved them up into fifth, but instead the 82:100 (42:46) defeat at MHP RIESEN on Sunday afternoon means they have slipped back to eighth in the table.

Ludwigsburg had the better of the opening spell. Although the statistics show that it is one of the weakest teams in the German league when it comes to buckets from downtown, it got off to a lightning start in that very department and had built a double-digit lead after just 3:35 minutes. medi found it difficult to get into the game, but was able to stabilize itself midway through the period and so Eric Mika was also able to score his first-ever points in the German league. Nevertheless, medi lost the first period by 22:29.

The HEROES OF TOMORROW were then a match for MHP Riesen in the second quarter. Their defense was now more solid and they were repeatedly able to finish moves successfully in attack. Only their inferior rebounding and a run-of-the-mill 3-point field goal percentage by Bayreuth’s standards prevented a better result at half-time and so the home side went in at the break 46:42 ahead.

However, Ludwigsburg again dictated the run of play at the start of the second half. A quick run of nine points without reply gave it a solid cushion. Even an early timeout by Head Coach Raoul Korner did not produce any effect. Inattentive defending and missed chances in offense even meant that his side fell further behind. medi was also not able to capitalize on the fact that Ludwigsburg’s centers were at risk of fouling out and so trailed 61:75 going into the final period.

Yet the HEROES OF TOMORROW continued to play too sedately in it, too. Its defending was still not aggressive enough and it failed to exploit in some cases excellent opportunities to score at the other end. As a result, Marcos Knight led his new team to what was ultimately a clear and deserved victory.

Source: www.medi-bayreuth.de