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Würzburg

s.Oliver Würzburg loses to ALBA BERLIN by 77:86

Würzburg, 12-03-2016

s.Oliver Würzburg lost at home to ALBA BERLIN by 77:86 (33:43) on the 12th matchday of the easyCredit German Basketball League – its third defeat in a row. After trailing by 21 points in the third period, the comeback by the club from Lower Franconia came too late to turn the game around. The game’s top scorers were the two Berlin players Dragan Milosavljevic and Engin Atsür with 18 points each. Four Würzburg players got into double digits: Jake Odum (17), Max Ugrai (15), Marshawn Powell (14) and Felix Hoffmann (11).

There was good news going into the game: After long layoffs through injury, Marshawn Powell and Sebastian Betz were finally fit again to play. Powell needed a while to find his rhythm, but then celebrated all in all a good return to the side with 14 points in just 13 minutes on court.

In the first period, it was initially youngster Max Ugrai who was able to put his stamp on Würzburg’s game in offense: The 21-year-old scored eight of his 15 points in it – a career best. In the 6th minute, he managed to add six points in a row and tie the game again at 12:12 after Berlin had got off to a good start. After that, the visitors – who were able to rely on their accuracy from beyond the arc from the outset – kept on pulling away slightly and Würzburg kept on equalizing, for the final time in the 14th minute, when Max Ugrai made it 27:27 with two free throws.

After that, Berlin wrested control on court in the s.Oliver Arena for a lengthy spell. Shortly before half-time, Ismet Akpinar drained a three to make it 31:43, then Jake Odum made the score at the break 33:43 with two free throws. Even by that time, the number of turnovers conceded by the home side was too high (11) and its 3-point field goal percentage too weak (1 out of 10 = 10 percent) to put up any adequate resistance to the cup winners.

After the break, it was again Berlin who controlled the run of play until well into the third period, scoring the first six points of the second half, then draining another four buckets from downtown to open up a 44:65 gap by the 28th minute. s.Oliver Würzburg struck back with 6:0 run before the end of the third period, as both teams went into the final quarter with the score at 50:65.

Felix Hoffmann was able to reduce the deficit to below ten again (72:81) with a three in the 39th minute. Jake Odum added a bucket to make it 74:81 – meaning Würzburg had reduced the gap by 14 points within ten minutes. However, the home side did not manage to get any closer in the final spell. “With a better 3-point field goal percentage and more possession, we could probably have come away with a better result today,” said Doug Spradley.