s.Oliver Würzburg loses to BG Göttingen by 87:91 (48:57)

s.Oliver Würzburg has lost an away game at BG Göttingen for the fourth time in a row: Trailing by ten points in the second half, a comeback by the club from Lower Franconia was not enough to clinch victory in a thrilling final spell in the Sparkassen Arena on Sunday afternoon. Göttingen’s playmaker Michael Stockton, the game’s top scorer with 25 points, drained two free throws with five seconds left to seal a 91:87 victory for the Violets.

It was not the haul in offense that Head Coach Denis Wucherer spoke about after the game: “When you score 87 points on the road, you should have a greater chance of winning the game. Our non-existent defense in the first half was a crucial factor and meant we only had a very slight chance to win at the end.” In the opening spell, his team was very strong from outside in particular: The first four shots from downtown – three of them by Florian Koch – hit their mark and so the visitors went five ahead after six minutes (13:18).

However, the home side also made a big mark in offense. Consequently, Würzburg’s early lead did not last long and an entertaining first period finished tied at 27:27. The Violets continued in the same vein in the second quarter, whereas the club from Lower Franconia was not able to keep its shooting percentage as high.

A run of eight points without reply by Göttingen gave it its highest lead in the next two minutes and the nine-point gap stayed that way at half-time (57:48). After the break, the visitors sharply stepped up their intensity in defense and fought their way back into the encounter with an 11:2 run in the space of just under four minutes (59:59). It would also not be Würzburg’s last comeback: The home side had pulled 78:68 ahead again by the 32nd minute – its highest lead in the entire encounter. However, the scores were tied again three minutes later.

The scene that probably decided the game then occurred with 50 seconds remaining: Skyler Bowlin scored twice from the foul line after an unsporting foul by Stefan Haukohl (86:84). Würzburg then had possession and the chance to equalize through Gabriel Olaseni, but his lay-up was blocked cleanly by Darius Carter.

On the next play, Michael Stockton scored at the other end while being fouled and also converted the free throw: 89:84. After another three by Jordan Hulls, it was again the son of NBA legend John Stockton who, after a tactical foul with 4.9 seconds left on the clock, drained both free throws to make the final score 91:87.