TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
Ulm Wins in Bayreuth!
87 
78
ratiopharm Ulm earned their second win of the preseason beating Pro A team BBC Bayreuth 87-78 in a closed game played Tuesday night at Oberfrankenhalle in Bayreuth Germany. A balanced scoring effort helped Ulm hold off the hot shooting Bayreuth squad. For the second consecutive preseason game, Ulm's energizing forward Konrad Wysocki topscored with 14 points followed by Bryan Lucas with 12 and Ulm's new backcourt of Kyle Bailey and EJ Gallup with 10 apiece.
As the game began both teams found their offensive flow with little resistance. The lead changed hands 10 times in the first 10 minutes of action. Bayreuth's experienced unit showed signs of excellent potential with active cutting and accurate shooting. Drilling three consecutive three pointers and adding a traditional three point play, Bayreuth outscored Ulm 28-27 in an offensive oriented first quarter.
Quarter two saw the hosts edge ahead as new G Brandon Chappell found his shooting rhythm to spark his team. In a scary moment for ratiopharm Ulm, All Star Power Forward Jeff Gibbs knocked-knees with a Bayreuth player in a mid-cout collision forcing him to the bench for the remainder of the first half. Head Coach Marco Amelow's team built 41-33 lead before an Ulm timeout. After defensive discussions, Ulm elevated their defensive performance behind Emeka Erege, Konrad Wysocki and Dru Joyce. Erege beat screens and challenged shooters while Wysocki played passing lanes to create key steals. The burst helped Ulm to an 8-0 and 41-41 tie. Earning another defensive stop with 12 seconds in the half, Ulm's rookie PG Dru Joyce managed the situation perfectly using a ballscreen and slicing into the lane before finishing a floater in traffic to beat the buzzer and give Ulm a 43-41 halftime lead.
As the second half started, the competitive game continued. Ulm's Bryan Lucas scored inside and Kyle Bailey in transition. For Bayreuth, Ty Harrelson and Jaivon Harris answered. With 4 minutes remaining in the third, the scoreboard showed an even game 55-55. Again, Ulm's depth was a factor as Dru Joyce and Jan Sprunken sparked a late third run which gave Ulm a 62-55 lead heading into the final quarter. As Bayreuth changed to zone defense, Ulm adjusted effectively with excellent flashing from Sean Finn or Florian Mobius and ball movement to perimeter shooters.
In the fourth, Ulm extended their lead to 12 points despite continued perimeter shooting from Bayreuth who sank a total of 12 threes in the game. Ulm's Captain Emeka Erege found his shooting form down the stretch hitting key baskets from the baseline in his first preseason action after missing the teams first week together from a slight muscle strain. Overall, the entire Ulm lineup could feel good about their efforts and progress in the teams second preseason game. Up 12 as the final seconds ticked away, Bayreuths Brandon Chappell drilled a tough transition pull up three to set the final score at 87-78.
ratiopharm Ulm makes their home debut Saturday night hosting USC Heidelberg for a 6pm tip in the annual Soflingen KUSS game played at TSG Soflingen. Follow all the fastbreaking ratiopharm Ulm Bundesliga basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
ratiopharm Ulm 87 BBC Bayreuth 78
ratiopharm Ulm: Wysocki 14, Lucas 12, Bailey 10, Gallup 10, Joyce 9, Erege 9, Gibbs 9, Finn 6, Mobius 3, Betz 3, Sprünken 2
