Medi fails to halt FC Bayern’s winning streak, even on home turf

The game between medi Bayreuth and FC Bayern Munich on the 18th matchday of the easyCredit German Basketball League was in several respects a carbon copy of their encounter three weeks ago. Whereas medi’s Head Coach Raoul Korner had to contend with the sudden withdrawal of center Hassan Martin before the game in the Audi Dome, Andreas Seiferth was missing through illness in the Oberfrankenhalle on Sunday afternoon. And yet despite the injury worries (captain Bastian Doreth was also not fully fit going into the game), the HEROES OF TOMORROW again forced the reigning champions to fight all the way. Bayern once more dominated the first period – and medi Bayreuth fought back again and proved a match for the visitors from the second quarter on.

It was already clear beforehand that the home game against FC Bayern Munich on the 18th matchday of the easyCredit German Basketball League would be a tough proposition. However, medi’s prospects grew even gloomier right before the game, when center Andreas Seiferth was forced to pull out through illness. Eric Mika took his place in the starting five for the first time. Nevertheless, the HEROES OF TOMORROW were able to keep the game up for grabs, above all thanks to David Stockton, until the score stood at 17:17. After that, medi was unable to maintain its play at that level. Munich exploited that to produce a run of ten points without reply and so pull 30:23 ahead after the first period. Its accuracy from beyond the arc was especially impressive in this spell: All its first six attempts hit their mark.

Yet the team of captain Bastian Doreth refused to be disconcerted. Even when trailing by more than ten points (30:41), the HEROES OF TOMORROW fought tenaciously for every ball and, thanks to aggressive defending and good play in offense, crept closer and closer to Bayern. When De’Mon Brooks reduced the deficit to 41:45 with 1:39 minutes remaining in the half, Dejan Radonjic was forced to call a timeout. And it had the desired impact: medi was not able to add any more points and so Bayern went in at the break leading by 50:41.

medi Bayreuth was once and for all a match for the big favorites at the start of the second half. Eric Mika was repeatedly found by his teammates below the basket and also made a high percentage of his chances. However, it was above all the individual class of Nihad Djedovic and Vladimir Lucic for Munich who ensured that their side stayed in front. They were even able to drain tough buckets as the shot clock ran down. Bayreuth managed to step up a gear again midway through the period. Fired up by its vociferous fans in the Oberfrankenhalle cauldron, Bayreuth now played with total intensity, and De’Mon Brooks cut the gap to 63:65 with exactly one minute left in the quarter. However, another Munich timeout interrupted the run by the HEROES OF TOMORROW and secured a 68:63 lead for the visitors at the end of the third period.

In the final ten minutes, FC Bayern wanted to seal victory as soon as possible. After just two-and-a-half minutes, it had carved out its largest lead of the encounter (78:66). Now it was the turn of Raoul Korner to call a timeout, which disrupted the opposing side’s flow and imbued new confidence into his players. medi produced an 11:0 run of its own to get right back into contention with 5:29 minutes remaining. However, Djedovic, Lo and Williams were able to keep Bayern in front. In the end, the HEROES OF TOMORROW failed to turn the game around decisively and FC Bayern Munich was able to celebrate a hard-fought 93:90 win on the road.

Source: www.medi-bayreuth.de