TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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ULM BURNED BY DRAGONS!
ratiopharm Ulm entered Artland Arena dreaming of an upset win which would keep their long-shot playoff hopes alive, but after an exciting first half, hot-shooting Artland turned up the heat in the second half to pull away with a 99-81 win seen live on Premiere TV. Continuing their excellent recent run, which included winning their way into the German Cup Finals last weekend in Hamburg, Head Coach Chris Fleming's Dragons were in fine form as Saturday's win coupled with Sunday's Oldenburg loss clinched a Playoff berth for Artland. Ulm's spirited effort was staggered when All-Star Power Forward fouled out late in the third quarter after a flurry of foul calls. Without Gibbs, who scored 19 points in the first half alone, Austen Rowland (18 points 7 assists 4 of 5 from three) and teammates marched on only to see Artland shoot the lights out. In fact, Artland's Jan Rohdewald (5 for 5), Lamont McIntosh (4 for 5) and Adam Hess (3 for 6) combined to sink 12 of 16 threes to make the difference for the Dragons. Despite the loss, ratiopharm Ulm players left Artland Arena proud of their effort and performance this season. Now 16-17, Ulm caps their first year in the Bundesliga by meeting rival Walter Tigers Tubingen Saturday May 12th for a 7:30pm tip off at Sportszentrum Kuhberg in Ulm.
click here for Box Score Ulm vs Artland
Saturday night, the matchup between Artland Dragons and ratiopharm Ulm was so intriguing, Premiere TV made special arrangements to show the game live all over Germany. Moving the tip time to 6:30pm, the game would play a major part in clearing up the Bundesliga playoff race for two remaining spots as the season entered its final two weekends. For ratiopharm Ulm, not only did they need two wins in their final two regular season games, but the team also needed some help with other results to earn a post season spot. Meanwhile, Artland's situation was much more direct --- a win over Ulm and a loss by Oldenburg and Artland would return to the playoffs. After an up and down, injury-filled season, Artland had shown signs of strength in recent weeks as the team finally was healthy and began to come together. No clearer message was visible than the Dragons successful run into the German Cup finals last weekend which saw them lose at the buzzer to Rheinenergie Koln. For Head Coach Chris Fleming and his Artland team, they could be clicking at just the right time.
As ratiopharm Ulm's Jeff Gibbs won the opening tip, the All-Star power forward was immediately in top form. Active and powerful, Ulm's undersized powerforward made his presence felt in the paint. The combination of Gibbs' strength and skill on the block complemented the crafty playmaking from Ulm point guard Austen Rowland perfectly and Ulm's offense reached high gear quickly. Playing fast and uptempo, both teams ran back and forth at each other. Run-out situations occurred for both teams and early on Maksym Shtein was whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul on a streaking Nik Caner-Medley. Offense was at a premium while both teams looked for fast break opportunities. Active cutting from Artland players resulted in several easy baskets early but Ulm answered immediately with exciting execution of their own. End to end action produced points nearly every possession. Dragon big men Tommy Lee Smith and Nik Caner-Medley scored in different ways. Smith made athletic moves finishing tear-drop-at extension over Ulm defenders or hammering home dunks around the rim. Meanwhile, Caner-Medley demonstrated his skillful lefthanded shooting touch with consistency. Ulm's Gibbs powered through double-downs and aggressive defense to get buckets. After one quarter, Artland held a 26-24 lead in the entertaining offensive basketball game.
ratiopharm Ulm forward Konrad Wysocki tries to understand Bundesliga official Christoph Madinger in Saturdays game at Artland Arena.
Quarter two saw Artland open a lead. Resting Rowland for the opening moments of quarter two, the Ulm offense lost their rhythm and suffered several turnovers. Artland capitalized. Chad Prewitt scored two baskets sandwiched around a Tommy Lee Smith score. But it was back to back three pointers from Jan Rohdewald which sent ratiopharm Ulm reeling. Artland's 12-0 run to start the second quarter stretched their lead to 38-24 forcing an Ulm timeout. Out of the timeout, Ulm answered with a 10-0 run of their own sparked by a three point jumper from Austen Rowland and an EJ Gallup corner three before Gallup poked loose a steal that led to a breakaway layup. After another defensive stop, a fast break resulted in a Jonathan Levy slam cutting the Artland lead to 38-34 forcing a Dragon timeout. Prewitt and Smith scored the next Artland baskets in the paint and the Dragons led 40-34, but it was Ulm's number 34 who dominated the final 3 minutes of the first half. Jeff Gibbs scored three baskets and sank a foul shot to provide Ulm power on offense. Another three from EJ Gallup and alert play from Konrad Wysocki also keyed Ulm down the stretch. Up 49-47 with seconds remaining in the first half, Lamont McIntosh buried a deep right wing three to give Artland a 52-47 halftime lead. As both teams walked down the corridor to their locker rooms, fans could finally take a timeout to catch their breath from the first halfs exciting uptempo action.
At the half, the stats were almost unbelieveable. Artland shot 70% from the floor hitting 21 of 30 shots. Ulm was not far behind making 20 of 35 for 57%. No player was more effective than Jeff Gibbs who scored 19 points in the first half. Both teams could be pleased with their offensive execution. However, on the other hand, both teams talked about the need for defensive improvement. While both squads discussed their adjustments, a defining 20 minutes awaited in the second half.
Opening action in the third quarter continued with the exciting uptempo pace. Jonathan Levy finished a basket cut layup pulling Ulm within three, 52-49. A Bryan Lucas three could have potentially tied the game, unfortnately for Ulm, the shot rimmed out. Artland's Adam Hess drilled a pull up jumper before two Emeka Erege free throws cut the lead to three again at 54-51. Mixed into the action was a harmless Jeff Gibbs loose ball foul --- his second of the game. Dragon forward Chad Prewitt answered before Erege sank two more from the foul line and the margin stayed at three 56-53. But before Erege could hit his pair of free throws, Artland asked for a timeout. On the way to the benches, officials assessed Adam Hess and Jeff Gibbs Double-Technical fouls for "Trash Talk". Both benches were puzzled with the surprising call after little conversation was visible. Returning to the floor as the teams lined up for Erege's two shots, a "Musical Chairs" game for position on the lane for the foul shot took place between Gibbs and Hess. Back and forth they went, time after time, before officials stopped in. As the refs stepped in, both teams exchanged words. Reacting to the situation, Ulm's Gibbs emotions grew short and he was quickly subbed out to help him regain his composure. Back to action, after Erege's two makes, Hess popped free for a left wing three before Austen Rowland answered with a crafty layup and the exciting action set at 59-55. Breathing fire, Hess answered again with another three which triggered a game-breaking Dragon run. Bryan Bailey converted a layup and two free throws before Nik Caner-Medley added a bucket to power Artland forward on their 9-0 run. Ulm's Konrad Wysocki broke the streak, but Caner-Medley and Tommy Lee Smith poured it on as Artland built their lead to 72-57. More important than any basket in their run, Smith drew a charge on a Gibbs spin move which resulted in his 4th personal foul. Moments later, officials called the Ulm All-Star for an offensive foul on a moving screen. Clearly a possible call, but fouling out Ulm's most effective player on a possible non-call at that point in the game was clearly a thunderbolt for the "Aufsteiger". Ulm's Bryan Lucas sank two free throws and EJ Gallup buried another three responding with a mini-run for ratiopharm Ulm cutting the lead back to 10, 72-62. Smith sank one of two from the foul line and Austen Rowland showed his heart with a big third quarter capping three from the left wing which gave Ulm hope and trimmed the deficit to 73-65.
In the fourth quarter, Artland's perimeter accuracy put all questions to rest. Without Gibbs' outstanding hardwork and production in the lane, Ulm's offense found it difficult to remain consistent. Point guard Austen Rowland continued to attack in transition and off ball screens, but Ulm managed only 16 points in the fourth quarter. Forward Florian Mobius came off the Ulm bench for effective minutes sinking a three pointer seconds after checking into the game and making several defensive hustle plays to help his team. Lucas continued his hardwork on the boards and Ulm kept fighting. However, the fourth quarter quickly turned into a Dragon three point contest. First, Jan Rohdewald buried a right corner three. Then, Rohdewald drilled another. Finally, off a ball screen, the BBL veteran Rohdewald sank his third consecutive three giving Artland an 85-70 lead forcing an Ulm timeout. Later in the quarter, Chad Prewitt and Lamont McIntosh showed their outside shooting touch and sent the Dragon fans into a frenzy. As Nik Caner-Medley iced the game making four straight foul shots, Artland could celebrate their hard-earned win and well-deserved playoff place. Meanwhile, as ratiopharm Ulm walked off the floor from their 99-81 loss in Artland, the team could hold their head up high and be proud of their effort on the evening and performance for the season.
Despite fouling trouble, Jeff Gibbs led Ulm with 19 points 7 rebounds and Austen Rowland added 18 points with 7 assists on 4 of 5 three point shooting. EJ Gallup sparked Ulm with 11 points off the bench. Clearly Gibbs fouling out was a major hit for Ulm, but the difference in Saturday's game boils down to the sizzling Artland shooting which saw the "Fire-Breathing" Dragons hit 58% from the floor for the game and 13 of 27 (48%) from three. Jan Rohdewald, who has hit 13 of his last 13 threes over a three game span, drilled five of five from beyond the arc for 15 important points. Lamont McIntosh also enjoyed an excellent game scoring 12 points on 4 of 5 three point accuracy. Adam Hess topped both of them with 17 points on 3 of 6 three point shooting. Forward Nik Caner-Medley high-scored for Artland with 22 points while Tommy Lee Smith added 14 points 4 rebounds 5 assists and Chad Prewitt contributed 13 points to the win.
Looking ahead to Saturday's season finale at Sportszentrum Kuhberg, basketball fans in Baden Wurttemburg will be in for a special treat as both ratiopharm Ulm and Walter Tigers Tubingen close their respective seasons by adding another chapter to their traditional rivalry. The two teams have enjoyed some outstanding games over the years and Saturday's intense derby should send the season out with excitement!
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GO ULM!
MIKE T
