TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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Ulm Comes up Short in Bonn!
With Kyle Bailey out rehabilitating a fractured thumb, ratiopharm Ulm knew their rotation was short entering Saturday's game in Bonn. But no one knew how shorthanded the team would be as Ulm finished final 12 minutes of the game without a point guard after Dru Joyce was disqualified for his second unsportsmanlike foul. Despite the shorthanded lineup, Ulm did not come up short on effort taking the physical, intense, exciting game into the last minute and final possessions before Telekom Bonn extended their winning streak to six games with a hardfought 82-77 victory over ratiopharm Ulm Saturday night at "Carnival Crazy" Hardtberghalle in Bonn.
Ulm's Bryan Lucas makes his move on the block against Bonn's John Bowler. Bryan led the Ulm attack with 19 points 5 rebounds including three clutch three pointers.
Click here for Photo Gallery from Ulm @ Bonn game!
Entering Saturdays game, excitement was high as Bonn took the opportunity to celebrate upcoming "Carnival" festivities with their fans. Decorating Hardtberghalle with pink and white balloons and streamers, the gym looked like a USA Homecoming was about to be held inside. Even more entertaining, fans filled the arena before the game dressed in ridiculous costumes ranging from Elvis to Spiderman to classic historical dresses or simply wild wigs. While Ulm warmed up in layup lines, a dancing group performed a traditonal dance at midcourt which was followed by a historical dressed marching procession to make midcourt announcements over the sounds of folk music and cheers. Certainly this pregame scene was unlike any other most Ulm players had ever seen.
Ulm All Star power forward Jeff Gibbs lived up to his "Mr Incredible" knickname Saturday playing the point when Dru Joyce was disqualified for two intentional fouls. Gibbs totaled 16 points 5 rebounds 2 assists and 2 steals before fouling out.
And on the court the excitement was high too. Both teams entered the meeting with positive runs this season. In fact, Bonn took the court hotter than their hot pink uniforms winning 5 straight games. Even more important for Head Coach Michael Koch and his men, Saturday's game marked the return of scoring guard Winsome Frazier who missed the last five games with a wrist problem. While Jason Conley missed the All Star game due to a chronic knee problem, the Bonn go-to-guy rested during the week and was ready to go by tip off. The Carnival Crazy fans were ready to support a healthy and full strength Bonn team!
Click here for Photo Gallery of Ulm @ Bonn from Telekom Baskets Bonn website
Konrad Wysocki finishes this backdoor cut strong through a Patrick Flomo (13) foul. The Ulm All Star small forward scored 16 points and grabbed 5 boards in an excellent effort.
On the other bench, ratiopharm Ulm entered the game with great determination. After last seasons poor performance in Hardtberghalle, Ulm aimed for a different result but understood the challenges against the tough Bonn team. After all, Bonn'ss 11-5 record earned them 3rd place in current Bundesliga standings. Unfortunately, while Bonn could gain confidence from their complete roster, Ulm remained without injured starting point guard Kyle Bailey who has made progress rehabilitating his thumb. Along with KB's absence, All Star small forward Konrad Wysocki was discovered to be playing with a bone chip in his lower leg earlier in the week. Despite this adversity, the gritty, determined Ulm team had beaten rival Walter Tigers Tubingen at home and Trier in the Cup on the road before losing last game against Frankfurt in a hardfought 87-83 loss. Ulm was ready to battle with their shorthanded lineup in Bonn.
Ulm's EJ Gallup drives for a fingerroll at the rim. Bonn's tremendous pressure defense focused on the Ulm sharpshooter limiting his looks and making him work for every inch on the floor.
As the game tipped off, Bonn's defensive pressure, athleticism and physical play stunned Ulm. A slow offensive start resulting from missed plays in the paint, soft plays with the basketball and poorly timed execution allowed Bonn assert themselves defensively. Meanwhile, John Bowler and Ronnie Burrell made their presence felt in the pink paint. Even though the lane was pink, play on the block in the game was anything but soft. The hosts aggressive play sparked an 8-0 lead. Both teams were extremely physical on both ends of the floor bringing high intensity to the action. Under assult, Ulm found themselves down 17-6 and needing to stop the Bonn run. Slowly, Ulm clawed their way back into the game. A Konrad Wysocki left wing three followed by strong baskets in the paint from Bryan Lucas and Jeff Gibbs helped stabalize Ulm. Point guard Dru Joyce continued his strong play filling in for Kyle Bailey and the rookie from Akron made several excellent drives and a momentum building left wing three. From a timeout sideline play, EJ Gallup drove hard and hit Konrad Wysocki on a beautiful backdoor cut that he turned into an AND1 three point play. Sean Finn scored 4 straight points sinking two free throws and finishing a dive cut layup to power Ulm's charge. As the first quarter came to a close, Ulm fought to within 4 at 25-21 for Bonn.
Ulm's Sebastian Betz is strong with the ball against defensive pressure from Bonn's Artur Kolodziejski. Betz gave Ulm good minutes Saturday and buried a game tying second half three.
Early in the second quarter Hardtberghalle intensified. Both teams brought physical, aggressive, team oriented basketball to the floor. Ulm weathered the first storm and aimed to even the game. Bonn focused to maintain their distance. The teams exchanged baskets and elbows. Bonn held a 30-26 lead. Later, leading 34-30, Bonn exteneded their advantage to 38-30 after a turnover and breakaway dunk by Jason Conley. Ulm huddled in a timeout to refocus and turn the tide. The answer came in a 7-0 Ulm run pulling to within 1 38-37 after a right wing EJ Gallup three. The exciting and intense game was beginning to boil. In the final moments of the first half, with Bonn holding a 45-40 lead, Ulm advanced the ball against the Bonn press with Dru Joyce and Sebastian Betz playing monkey in the middle against the top man of their 1-2-2. Milking the clock for the last shot, Ulm's Dru Joyce eyed the defense for a gap. Facing a 3-2 zone, Dru zeroed in on the top man Jason Conley and went to work. As the clock ticked down to 5, Dru drove hard to the right and began to cross over to the middle. The ball got away from the Ulm rookie and he went body to body against Conley. Reaching out with his left hand, Dru lunged for the basketball as Conley darted forward. The two collided and tumbled to the ground. With the ball bouncing free at the top of the key and 1.1 second on the clock, both players hustled for possession. Suddenly action stopped as official whistled an unsportsmanline foul on Dru. Bonn sank the free throw and took a 46-40 lead into the half. What seemed like a minor play, the first Joyce unsportsmanlike foul would later turn out to have major implications on the game.
Ulm's Sean Finn finishes a layup at the rim against Bonn. The Ulm big man was strong in the paint on both ends scoring 4 points and providing physical presence on defense.
At the half, Ulm focused on their defensive effort. Changing defenses, several minor details became important for both man to man and zone alignmnets. Offensively, Ulm needed to be stronger against the Bonn defensive pressure and execute their systems and sets through the physical intense Bonn D. Most important, Ulm weathered the storm and saw several areas they could improve. With determination and teamwork, the Ulm squad returned to the floor aiming for a strong second half.
Ulm Captain Emeka Erege provided excellent defensive effort and a team best 7 rebounds for his team. Erege scored this important driving basket to open the fourth quarter tying the score at 63.
And that is exactly what they got. Quarter three the game changed for Ulm as Dru Joyce buried a big three from the right wing off a beautiful post reaction pass from Jeff Gibbs. Bryan Lucas caught fire burying a left wing three on a flare and following it up with another left wing three ball as Bonn overplayed a Jeff Gibbs cut. Bryan's second three gave Ulm a 53-52 lead with 6 minutes remaining in the third. Out of a timeout, Bonn responded with a run to reclaim a 59-55 lead with 3 minutes to play in the third. Then, in the closing minutes of the third, as the action flowed end to end, Bryan Lucas ripped down a rebound and proceeded to dribble bustout up the floor. Bonn's All Star forward Ronnie Burrell poked in from behind and Lucas lost the ball between his feet. Burrell and Lucas scrapped for the loose ball. Burrell came up with the ball at the right elbow and turned to attack the basket. At that moment, Ulm's Dru Joyce reached in and ripped the ball away. Whistles stopped the action as officials called a foul on Dru. Emotionally, Burrell reacted throwing punches into the air as Konrad Wysocki stood near. Ulm's rookie Joyce saw this and moved in to protect his teammate. Dru shoved Burrell as the teams exchanged words. Taking control of the situation, officials ruled a common foul on Dru (his fourth) and double unsportsmanlike fouls on Dru Joyce for Ulm and Ronnie Burrell for Bonn. The second unsportsmanlike foul on Dru meant he was disqualified for the remainder of the game. Already without starting PG Kyle Bailey, locked in a heated duel with Bonn, Ulm would now be forced to finish the game shorthanded without their two point guards. Pressed into a backup-backup plan, Ulm called timeout and huddled to organize their attack. Power forward Jeff Gibbs would now move to the point and share floor general duties with sharpshooter EJ Gallup. Ulm planned to change their defenses and lineups to help keep them in the game. Back to action Bonn held a 59-57 lead with 114 to play in the third. A single free throw pushed the lead to 3, 60-57, but a Sebastian Betz top of the key three evened the score at 60 with less than one minute. Ulm moved ahead 61-60 as Konrad Wysocki sank one free throw with 28 seconds in the third. Bonn answered with one of two from the foul line and the scoreboard was even at 61 with 20 seconds to play. Ulm aimed for the last shot. Working the clock down, Ulm's EJ Gallup pulled up for an early right wing three point attempt. The miss bounced long off the rim and started a Bonn runout. As the quarter clock ran down, Bonn's Winsome Frazier took an outlet pass sprining along the right sideline. Racing against Gallup to the rim, Frazier glided in for a banked in basket before the third quarter buzzer. The basket was worth 2 points on the score board, but it added momentum and brought the Carnival crazy crowd into the game!
Ulm's Dru Joyce scored 12 points and dished out 3 assists before being disqualified from the game with a second intentional foul. Already without PG Kyle Bailey, losing Joyce forced Ulm into a backup-backup plan at the point.
Huddling in the quarter break, Ulm re-entered their starting frontcourt who finished the third on the bench for a quick break. The team set their strategy and adjusted the game plan to the point guard less lineup. On the first possession of the fourth quarter, with Bonn leading 63-61, Ulm captain Emeka Erege took a wing entry pass and beat pressure to the basket where he sliced through traffic for a game-tying score. From this point on, the game developed into a fantastic basketball battle. Minutes later with Ulm leading 66-65, Miah Davis sank free throws giving his team a 67-66 lead. On the ensuing possession, Ulm's point guardless attack suffered a shot clock violation. Making their guests pay for the mistake, Bonn's Artur Kolodziejski buried a huge left wing three against the Ulm zone defense extending Bonn's advantage to 70-66. In a game where every possession and point was important, this moment was a crucial scene. Responding with heart, Ulm's Jeff Gibbs tipped in an EJ Gallup miss pulling Ulm to within a basket 70-68. After a defensive stop, Ulm's Konrad Wysocki drew a foul and sank one of two free throws moving Ulm to 70-69. John Bowler scored on the other end with an inside power move giving Bonn a three point lead. Again looking to make the big play, Jeff Gibbs powered his way into the paint and was called for a charge against Ronnie Burrell. Needing a big defensive stop, the Ulm team surrendered two offensive rebounds and finally succumb to a Jason Conley tip in which gave the hosts a 74-69 lead. But as Bonn seemed comfortable and in control in transition defense after the score, Ulm attacked. EJ Gallup took the inbound pass and immediately looked up to find a sprinting Bryan Lucas open ahead of the pack. Zipping a perfect ball ahead pass to the Ulm post man, EJ sent Lucas in for a layup as Bonn coasted back on D. Lucas finished the layin through contact and drew the foul. His excellent three point play gave Ulm a spark and pulled them to withing two 74-72. At the other end, it was another offensive rebound allowed as Ronnie Burrell scored on a stickback inside giving Bonn a 76-72 lead. A second Jeff Gibbs charge in the lane returned possession and control to Bonn, but an errant pass was picked off by Gibbs and Ulm looked to trim the deficit with just over three minutes to play. Konrad Wysocki drew a foul and went to the foul line with 2:59 remaining. Although he missed both, Ulm's Jeff Gibbs ran down the offensive rebound on the left wing. Finding a wide open Bryan Lucas at the top of the key, Gibbs swung the ball to Lucas who buried his third clutch three of the game pulling Ulm within one at 76-75. The terrific game built toward a peak! At the 2:24 mark Lucas fouled John Bowler in the lane. Not yet in the bonus, the inbound went to the sideline for Bonn. PG JJ Strasser drove the lane as the shot clock ticked down and had his shot goaltended by the aggressive Ulm defenders. Bonn led 78-75. Ulm executed their next possession well but came up empty on a shot. Scrambling for the loose ball underneath, both Jeff Gibbs and Emeka Erege had chances to secure the basketball but unfortunately it slipped out of bounds. The outstanding hustle and effort seemed to go unrewarded. With 1:38 to play, Ronnie Burrell missed a turnaround jumpshot and officials whistled John Bowler for an offensive loose ball foul on the rebound. The foul sent Konrad Wysocki to the foul line shooting two. The Ulm all star sank both critical free throws and cut the game to 78-77. 55 seconds remained on the game clock and it was anybody's ball game. Ulm's inspired effort without a true point guard had put them in a position to win playing through adversity against an outstanding opponent. The final minute came down to big plays and making opportunity count. As Bonn attacked Ulm, Jason Conley found a way to get a big basket and his layup gave Bonn an 80-77 lead. With 32 seconds remaining Ulm attacked looking for a three. Unfortunately, the lack of a true point on the floor became a factor. EJ Gallup brought the ball up and called the play before passing off and running off a flare screen. Looking to execute for an open shot, Ulm's Lucas fired a pass back to Gallup in the corner. Looking to tie the game with a left corner three, the Bundesliga three point champs attempt was off line. Ulm attempted to get a steal but Bonn executed well and when Jeff Gibbs fouled JJ Strasser, Bonn finally had the game in control. Gibbs fouled out and Strasser sank the two from the line setting the score at 82-77. The hardfought, excellent basketball game came down to the final minute and last possessions.
Hardtberghalle was entertaining on AND off the floor Saturday night. The traditional "Carnival" brought out the best in pre-game festivities (top), fans costumes and the Bonn Dancers.
ratiopharm Ulm post man Bryan Lucas led the attack with 19 points 5 rebounds including 3 of 6 from three. Jeff Gibbs added 16 points 5 boards and hit 5 of 8 shots from the floor. Even more impressive was Jeff's all around effort for his team which included solid minutes at the PG spot in the fourth quarter. Fellow All Star Konrad Wysocki also added 16 points 5 rebounds and made 7 of 11 clutch free throws in a quality game. Dru Joyce scored 12 points with 3 assists before his disqualification for two unsportsmanlike fouls. Clearly, the absence of a point guard made the challenge greater for Ulm but the team demonstrated tremendous will and teamwork in their effort in Bonn. From the bench Emeka Erege brought strong defense including a team best 7 rebounds. Ulm shot 43% from the floor and made 8 of 25 from three point land. Ulm also enjoyed a big advantage from the foul line making 25 of 34 foul shots (73%) but Bonn made their chances count with 21 of 25 (84%). In the hardgfought game Ulm won the battle on the boards 32-29 where both teams were extremely physical in the paint. Jason Conley led Bonn with 19 points and John Bowler added 18 points 7 rebounds to the win. Both Artur Kolodziejski and Ronnie Burrell chipped in 10 points apiece.
ratiopharm Ulm competed and met the challenges head on Saturday night in Bonn. But in the end, the shorthanded Ulm teams valiant effort was not enough. Bonn earned the win with teamwork and big plays to extend their win streak to six games.
Saturday's shorthanded effort in Bonn was not short on effort. The gutsy team performance gave Ulm alot to be proud of and important experience to build on.
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GO ULM!
MIKE T
