TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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ULM UPSETS BERLIN!
Upsetting ALBA Berlin back in October at Sportszentrum Kuhberg was an historically significant win for ratiopharm Ulm that few results could top. While winning in Ulm was possible, many fans did not think Ulm had any chance to ever win in Berlin. After all, entering Saturday nights tipoff, Ulm had never won at MaxSchmellinghalle. But playing the powerful Albatross, in the midst of a losing streak and without captain Emeka Erege or PG Kyle Bailey, Ulm took the floor with the most important element --- Belief. In the outstanding team performance, sparked by EJ Gallups 6 point play and Bryan Lucas' perfect performance from three, ratiopharm Ulm put six players in double digits to upset German power ALBA Berlin 94-90 marking another significant win for Ulm basketball. It was the first time Ulm has ever beaten ALBA Berlin at MaxSchmellinghalle. For ratiopharm Ulm, upsetting ALBA Berlin in Ulm was something special. But an upset in Berlin is achieving the unthinkable. Saturday night, ratiopharm Ulm proved, it's not about what people think; It's about what you believe.
ratiopharm Ulm All Star Jeff Gibbs goes all out for this rebound Saturday night at MaxSchmellinghalle in Berlin. The Ulm All Star forward was excellent in the lane scoring 16 points with 7 rebounds helping his team to the upset win.
click here for Ulm @ ALBA photo gallery!
For opponents, every road trip to Berlin is special -- the sights of a world-class city and the history make the travel a life experience. But at the heart of a road trip to Berlin is the chance to challenge a top team like ALBA Berlin on the basketball court. And this court is not just any court. For many, MaxSchmellinghalle is the Mecca of German basketball --- great teams, great players and great games have all played beneath the Berlin championship banners stretching across the Arena's rafters.
In their entire Bundesliga history ranging from the thirteen seasons of 1988 to 2001, Ulm had not beaten ALBA Berlin at MaxSchmellinghalle. Ulm's lone victory in the famous Arena came in the 1996 German Cup win beating then power Bayer Leverkusen. In fact, ALBA owned a dominant 26-7 record against Ulm since 1990 including a 19-6 mark in the regular season, 5-1 in the playoffs and 2-0 in German Cup. But over a stretch from 1998 through last season, ALBA Berlin went 9-0 against Ulm. Starting with a Bundesliga finals game May 17th, 1998 which saw Ulm fans surrender in fun wearing German Vize-Meister (Runner Up) t-shirts to the game resulting in a 104-83 ALBA victory, that span also included a 109-48 debacle at Sportszentrum Kuhberg September 26th, 1999 and an 83-52 Berlin win toward the finish of Ulm's first Bundesliga era January 14th, 2001. Entering this season, Ulm games against ALBA Berlin have been like David against Goliath.
Ulm PG Dru Joyce gets to the rim after using a top of the key ballscreen as ALBA defender Aleksandar Nadjfeji rotates in the first half of Saturdays action.
But ratiopharm Ulm made team history earlier this season with an exciting 92-90 upset win over ALBA Berlin October 27th at Sportszentrum Kuhberg in Ulm. With the long track record of on-court dominance over Ulm, ALBA Berlin would surely take great motivation from their early season upset loss in Ulm. Certainly that early season magic would be non-existent midseason at the temple of German Basketball MaxSchmellinghalle a place where Ulm had not won. If Ulm had any shot, it was a long shot.
Making the odds even longer, ratiopharm Ulm entered Saturdays game on a 9 game Bundesliga losing streak. Despite good games and tight losses, Ulm had not come up with the wins and slipped off playoff pace. Recently, the team suffered two set backs along with the losing streak --- Kyle Bailey left the team and Captain Emeka Erege injured his knee. Without both Bailey and Erege, with a losing streak, against the long winless history in Berlin, even the boldest Ulm fans gave the team little chance.
Ulm's Konrad Wysocki turns the corner toward his key basket in the fourth quarter. The Ulm All Star small forward scored 10 points with 5 rebounds in the win but came through with two big baskets for his team.
After Wednesday nights road loss at Bamberg, Ulm felt great about their offensive attack which produced 89 points against the tough defense of the defending German Champs. Bamberg's outstanding offense caught fire and reeled off 110 points against Ulm but the team had found a rhythm. Focusing on better individual and team defensive performance, Ulm took the floor in Berlin believing they could win. The shortened bench provided opportunity for key reserves like Florian Mobius, Sebastian Betz and Jan Sprunken to help the team. Without Kyle Bailey and Emeka Erege, Ulm needed an outstanding team performance and production from several players to be at their best.
Ulm post man Bryan Lucas enjoyed a fantastic game drilling a perfect 5 for 5 from three and topscoring with 21 points. Here, Bryan attacks the basket against ALBA Berlin's Goran Nikolic in the first half.
With 6,900 fans packed into the Arena, Berlin won the tip but Ulm got two early defensive stops tipping the ball away. Jeff Gibbs hit Sean Finn in transition and the Ulm big man scored the games opening bucket with a layup. Ulm took a 4-0 lead and started strong on the defensive end. The class of the Berlin team showed through as the quarter unfolded. Julius Jenkins graceful one on one game and Bobby Brown skills triggered an ALBA run. ALBA shot 70% from the floor in the first quarter and Aleksandar Nadjfeji and Patrick Femerling established the paint for the Berliners. Ulm's switch to zone defense was ineffective as Berlin tore up the Ulm D with excellent passing and playmaking. Back to their man to man, Ulm fought hard to finish the first quarter within range. Berlin held a 22-19 lead but Ulm held the ball for the final shot. Ulm's Dru Joyce milked the clock at the top defended by Aleksandar Rasic. As the clock ticked under ten, Joyce drove right and Rasic slid into create a block-charge situation. Whistled for a charge, Berlin added a bucket before the buzzer to take a 24-19 lead after one.
C Sean Finn finishes under the rim Saturday night at MaxSchmellinghalle in Berlin. Finn was a perfect 7 for 7 from the floor scoring 15 points with 5 boards in the win.
Ulm's second quarter saw Bryan Lucas emerge with a hot hand. The Ulm big man sank a perfect 3 of 3 from behind the arc in the first half and totaled 11 points at the break. Most important, Bryan's perimeter sharpshooting helped Ulm cut the ALBA lead and gain momentum on the offensive end. Sean Finn also finished the first half strong with 9 points on a 4 inside finishes and Jeff Gibbs powered his way to 8 points for Ulm. Gibbs also played some point guard when Dru Joyce took a quick breather demonstrating the versatility of Ulm's all star power forward. After shooting 70% in the first quarter, Berlins shooting percentage dipped to 60% but Ulm answered with 57% at the break. The uptempo game went into the lockerroom with ALBA holding a 46-42 lead. At the half, Ulm focused on the defensive end and continued with their game plan. Offensively, Ulm looked to take advantage a specific situations and with some big shots in the second half, come up with an upset.
Ulm's rookie point guard Dru Joyce leads a fast break against ALBA Berlin Saturday night at MaxSchmellinghalle. Dru scored 11 points with 8 assists and sank two clutch foul shots with 7.6 seconds in the win.
As third quarter action began, Ulm and ALBA settled into an excellent game. Jeff Gibbs powered to the basket scooping a shot softly high off the backboard before dropping in. After an ALBA turnover on the next possession, Gibbs pushed the ball in transition before throwing a no-look across the body pass off his spin move to a cutting Dru Joyce who finished for two. After another ALBA miss, Joyce zipped a pass to Sean Finn alone under the rim off a sideline inbound play. Finn stepped under the rim and hammered home two more for the orange and black. With 6 minutes remaining in the quarter, the score was knotted at 50. But ALBA soon made a run to break the game open. Exploding on an 11-0 burst, ALBA pushed the score to 61-52. Excellent transition play from Julius Jenkins, Bobby Brown and Immanuel McElroy made the difference. After an EJ Gallup right corner three miss, Berlin executed a beautiful fastbreak ending with a Jenkins finish and Ulm timeout. Out of the timeout, Jeff Gibbs drew a foul and sank two free throws to stop the run. Unfortunately, while Gibbs was in between shots, Ulm PG Dru Joyce was forced to leave the game after getting a bandaid to stop the cut on his finger from bleeding. With Joyce subbed out, Gibbs took over at point. Ulm's defense surrendered an offensive rebound on the next ALBA possession and Bobby Brown buried a right corner three. Gibbs missed in the post and Aleksandar Nadjfeji used a terrific shot fake move to finish against rotating Ulm defense at the other end. Ulm's Gallup was fouled attacking the basket and hit one of two free throws as Dru Joyce returned to the lineup. Berlin's Immanuel McElroy drilled a left wing three but Bryan Lucas answered with a beautiful post move finishing under the rim off an endline inbound play. Significantly at the other end, Bobby Brown split Ulm defenders drawing Dru Joyce's 4th foul. With 2 minutes left in the third, Ulm faced a critical decision. Gallup took over the point as Ulm played it safe with their only active pure point guard. But as EJ sat at the scorers table waiting to sub in after Brown's second free throw, the ALBA PG missed making it a live ball. In transition, Joyce burst to the basket and finished an AND1 layup off glass. Completing the three point play, Dru subbed out after a job well done. Following a key defensive stop, Bryan Lucas buried another big three, this time from the left wing. Shutting out Berlin again, it was Konrad Wysocki's turn for a big bucket after flashing to the middle and spinning back for an athletic leaning finish at the rim. Berlin's Julius Jenkins cooly sank two free throws pushing ALBA's lead to 8, 69-61. From the free throw, the game changed. Ulm's EJ Gallup pushed the ball up the right sideline and entered the offense. Running off several screens, Gallup took a ball reversal pass and eyed a three from the left wing. As he shot, EJ was bumped by Berlin big man Patrick Femerling. Drawing the foul shooting the three, EJ's three pointer turned into a four point play when his shot luckily banked in off the backboard. Energizing Ulm, Gallup completed the four point play. But a bench technical on ALBA turned Gallup's roll into a 6 point play as he buried the next two technical foul shots. EJ's amazing 6 point play single-handidly brought Ulm back into the game at 69-67. With the last possession of the third quarter, Ulm had a chance to tie or take the lead but two right corner jumpshots from Wysocki and Basti Betz were off line. Trailing by two, Ulm had fought their way back into the game and entered the mid-half huddle with energy and enthusiasm.
ratiopharm Ulm rookie Sebastian Betz handles the ball against ALBA All Star Julius Jenkins. Basti scored 2 points in 15 solid minutes for Ulm Saturday night
Ulm carried their momentum into the fourth. EJ Gallup banked in another three this time from the right wing. With 6 mintues remaining in the fourth, Ulm held a 79-74 lead. Action continued with Berlin closing the gap and Ulm working for big plays. Out of the timeout, Bryan Lucas buried two free throws. After an Immanuel McElroy missed three, Ulm grabbed the rebound and executed on offense. Wysocki hit Gibbs on a nice screen and roll for an easy basket. Julius Jenkins had the answer for Berlin with a beautiful drive and finish through traffic. Lucas stepped up and drilled another huge three for Ulm with a deep left wing triple. Bobby Brown responded with a top of the key three for ALBA. Berlin's defense toughened and forced an Ulm shot clock violation which resulted in Jeff Gibbs being called for a foul. Under one minute, trailing by three 90-87, Berlin head coach Luka Pavicevic called for time. Battle tested and experienced, Berlin had seen this situation before. Needing a bucket, they executed with precision and broke down the Ulm D. Excellent passing found Immanuel McElroy cutting to the rim. Gibbs fouled him preventing the easy layup sending the athletic wing to the line. With 46 seconds to play, McElroy could pull ALBA within one. But the former Koln All Star missed both foul shots and Ulm grabbed the rebound. Executing a set to use the entire shot clock, Ulm worked the ball around the perimeter until Konrad Wysocki could post up. One on one on the right block, Wysocki spun hard baseline and attacked the rim. Challenged by Patrick Femerling, Wysocki's first shot was blocked. Quickly collecting the deflected shot, Wysocki came up on the other side of the rim to finish another big basket for Ulm. Now leading 92-87, Ulm aimed for a defensive stop to seal the game. But Goran Nikolic stepped up to the right wing three point line and buried a ice-cold three for ALBA. Now a 92-90 game, ALBA needed to foul. Ulm entered the basketball to Dru Joyce quickly and the Ulm guard sped up the left sideline. Finally, Bobby Brown fouled him but prescious seconds had been lost. Berlin used their final timeout to ice Joyce, but the Akron native wanted the ball and thrived in the situation. Out of the timeout, Dru sank the two clutch free throws giving Ulm a 94-90 lead. Berlin's last second attempt was off line and ratiopharm Ulm celebrated a historically significant win for their team and the snap of their losing streak at the same time.
Ulm's Dru Joyce stepped to the line with the scoreboard showing 7.6 seconds and a two point game. The rookie from Akron cooly came through in the clutch to help seal the upset win.
ratiopharm Ulm put six players in double figures in a truly spectacular team performance. With a shortened active roster, Ulm players deserve respect for raising their level of play to take on the high-level challenge in Berlin. Bryan Lucas enjoyed a memorable game sinking a perfect 5 for 5 from three and 7 for 11 from the floor to lead Ulm scoring with 21 points in the win. Fellow big man Sean Finn was also excellent hitting a perfect 7 for 7 from the floor to add 15 points 5 boards. EJ Gallup's fantastic 6 point play led to a 16 point night and Jeff Gibbs added a strong 16 points 7 boards. Dru Joyce hit the clutch free throws and totaled 11 points 8 assists while Konrad Wysocki made several key baskets to add 10 points and 5 boards. Ulm shot 57% from the floor, sank 9 of 17 threes (53%) and converted 15 of 22 (68%) from the foul line. ALBA outrebounded Ulm 30-28 and shot 60% from the floor making 9 of 19 from three (47%) but only 11 of 23 (48%) from the foul line. ALBA dropped their third straight home game after tight losses to Bundesliga league leading Artland Dragons and current second place holders Bayer Leverkusen before Saturday nights upset.
Teams line up for Immanuel McElroy crunch time free throws!
Ulm bench celebrates the upset win at the final buzzer!
Ulm players celebrate the win and clap to thank the fans who followed them to MaxSchmellinghalle Saturday night!
A happy Thomas Stoll and Mike Taylor celebrate the special win!
Saturday night ratiopharm Ulm's belief led to their first ever win at Max Schmelling halle in Berlin. Ulm's upset win sets the table for a fantastic rematch Wednesday night March 19th when the two teams tip off in the Elite 8 of the German Cup. ALBA Berlin will certainly be ready for revenge. ratiopharm Ulm will be ready to make another dream come true. The winner advances to the spectacular TOP4 Tournament in Hamburg. Basketball fans all over the world can watch the exciting clash live on BBL.TV at www.sportdigital.tv
Next up for ratiopharm Ulm, the Koln 99ers visit Sportszentrum Kuhberg Saturday night March 15th. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm Bundesliga Basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
