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ULM EDGED IN JENA 92-89 In an extremely well played and exciting game that ranged from end to end fast break contest to wild uptempo three point shootout to physical and fundamentally sound defensive battle, TuS Jena edged ratiopharm Ulm 92-89 in 2.Bundesliga South basketball action at Lobeda West in Jena Germany Saturday night. After running out to a 15 point first half lead, ratiopharm Ulm controlled play leading for over 35 minutes in the game. Excellent team basketball on both ends of the floor pushed Ulm to their lead --- strong defense, good rebounding helped Ulm get their transition game going leading to easy baskets. In the halfcourt, Ulm moved the ball beautifully finding open teammates for easy shots. In the first half, Ulm shot a sizzling 53% from the floor including sinking 7 of 14 three point attempts while registering an impressive 15 assists. Early on, Ulm's full court doubling defense befuddled Jena point guard Mark Peters who suffered from turnovers and a slowed up attack. Ulm opened a 9-4 lead. Strong ballmovement led to good shots. Ulm's lead went to 17-10 before injured Jena star Michael Lake made his first appearance. Hobbled from an ankle sprain, Lake misfired on his first shots, but his presence alone sparked the home team. Climbing back into the game, Jena cut the lead to 19-17 behind excellent three point shooting from big man Oliver Braun who drilled two deep top of the key threes. Ulm guard Christian Grosse slightly twisted his knee in the final minute of the first quarter after diving on the floor after a loose ball. At the end of one intense quarter of play, Ulm held a 21-19 advantage.
Ulm's Michael Bree (4) navigates against strong ball pressure from Jena's Mark Peters Offensively sharp, Ulm point man Michael Bree thrived in the transition game and Maksym Shtein scored inside and out. Defensively, Ulm's game plan to double the post and slow the Jena attack with full court doubling worked effectively. Jena's lone strength, the only thing keeping them in the game, was effective three point shooting.
Ulm forward Niki Arinze scores inside. Starting the second quarter, Ulm broke the game open. A 15-4 run established a 15 point Ulm lead. Ball movement found open Ulm teammates for good shots. A Maksym Shtein three and a Michael Bree three and easy baskets got Ulm going. Up 36-21, Ulm had Jena on the ropes. However, Jena fought their way back staying in the game behind their hot first half three point shooting (9 of 18). By the end of the half, Ulm's lead was trimmed in half to 7 at 49-42.
Florian Mobius hits an elbow jump shot in the first half Pleased with the first half of play, Ulm felt good about their offensive performance and unselfish team play which resulted in 15 assists and good shooting percentage. Bree posted 5 points 6 assists and 3 steals in the first half while Peter Heizer added 4 more assists despite being slowed by first half fouls. Maksym Shtein lead Ulm with 14 first half points. Both teams showed signs of whats to come --- a shootout. Ulm hitting 7 of 14 threes while Jena drilled 9 of 18, demonstrated some of the entertaining and exciting basketball on display. Looking to defend the three point line better in the second half, Ulm returned to the floor ready to finish what they started. But Jena was not finished. From the second half inbound, Jena's defensive intensity, ball pressure and physical play picked up. Showing more zone in the second half, Jena players were active and aggressive taking their game to another level. Ulm continued to score, but Jena cut into the lead as Ulm's defense showed signs of vulnerability in one on one situations. In the stretch, Mark Peters, Jena's point guard, made plays off dribble penetration and stepped up to hit shots when Ulm doubled the post. Slowly the lead lessened: 52-48 Ulm, 60-58 Ulm and finally 62-62 tie with four minutes remaining in the third. A Mike T timeout settled the team, but it was anyone's ball game.
Both teams hustled and played hard all night Over the final four minutes of the third, Ulm and Jena turned the floor into a wild west three point shootout with exciting end to end action. Jena's Peters, a key in the second half success with effective penetration, sank a three. Ulm's Christian Grosse answered. Jena's Sebastian Machowski drilled a trey from the corner. Ulm's Big Mike Niebling followed up with a three of his own. Back and forth, players hit big shots. Strong offensive rebounding gave Ulm several extra possessions and the team turned them into second chance points. Finally when the buzzer sounded, Ulm held a 73-70 lead. The table was set for the fourth quarter. Points, which came so easy in the fluid flow of the first 30 minutes were now hard to come by as both teams contested each other with intense defense. Ulm kept control until the six minute mark when Michael Lake gave Jena their first lead at 76-75. Now playing straight man to man without any post doubling, Ulm needed tough one on one D and strong team defensive stops. Unfortunately, they came inconsistently. Peters penetrated while Lake created off the dribble on the perimeter and center Oliver Braun scored or was fouled going one on one inside. Several key calls or no calls helped the Jena cause --- in the run Braun barrelled through Maksym Shtein lowering his shoulder into the Ulm center before getting a call and being bailed out by an official. But the key was a no call when Michael Bree drew a clear charge in the lane only to be overlooked by both referees. Unfortunately, as Ulm's defense did not step up to get stops, crucial turnovers and missed shots stymied their O. When Ulm forwards flashed into the middle of the zone, they did an excellent job of making plays earlier in the game. Now in the final minutes, Ulm's Maksym Shtein suffered a turnover and a key missed layup in the lane. Kenny Price jump shots that softly sank through the basket earlier in the game suddenly caught the rim. Jena built a slight lead. With just over a minute to play in this shootout, Ulm needed one defensive stop. Jena came up the floor giving the ball to their number one gun Michael Lake. Setting up in front of the Ulm bench, Lake looked to use a wing ballscreen to go middle. However, he sliced along the sideline to the basket --- hobbling on his injured ankle, Lake saw Ulm helpside D rotating and quickly slipped a gliding runner off the glass for the biggest basket of the game. Down 4 Ulm's Emeka Erege drew a midlane foul. Cooly he sank two free throws. Now down 2, Ulm D dug in for a game saving stop with 35 seconds remaining. According to plan, the Ulm defense would stifle Jena earn a stop and get the ball back for a game tying possession with approximately 10 seconds remaining. Ulm players worked their hardest to guard. Unforutnately, a loose ball in the lane turned into a jump ball. All eyes in the gym turned to the scorers table where the arrow pointed for Jena. With 20 seconds to play, Jena inbounded the ball from the baseline. Going for a steal, Ulm players wasted no time and immediately fouled. That sent Sebastian Machowski to the foul line. The veteran sharpshooter calmly sank two free throws pushing the lead back to 4. Off the fullcourt inbound situation, Ulm pushed the pace and Michael Bree scored a driving layin. Mike T's men fouled immediately again. This time they sent Gregor Linke to the line. All Ulm needed was one miss. Jena's power forward would not cooperate. Linke swished his two free throws pushing the lead back to four with 11 seconds to play. Ulm pushed the ball full court again. This time trailer Big Mike Niebling took a ball reversal pass in stride and drilled a clutch three cutting the lead to one at 90-89.
Jena's Sebastian Machowksi at the line in the final seconds Sticking with the "go for steal/immediate foul" strategy, Ulm players stopped the clock again with 1.6 seconds to play. Even if Jena's Machowski made both the free throws, Ulm would have a chance --- down three, a clutch 3 ball would equalize. But on an evening that saw Jena hit 24 of 25 free throws, the final two shots went according to plan. Machowski made both pushing the score to 92-89. Niki Arinze's quarterback pass down the left sideline was deflected and referees whistled time was up. Jena fans celebrated as players hugged and exchanged high fives. Both teams played well on the evening. Ulm put together 37 minutes of winning basketball before falling mostly a result of stop-ability and defensive toughness one on one in crunch time. Give credit to Jena which played well and helped themselves win with timely scoring down the stretch and excellent free throw shooting. For the game, Ulm shot 52% from the floor and 45% from three point land. Meanwhile, Jena hit 45% from the floor and 39% from three but nailed a nice 96% from the foul line. ratiopharm Ulm was led by Kenny Price's 17 points including 4 for 9 from three. Price was Mike T's Taylorhoops.com Player of the Game. Maksym Shtein chipped in 15 points and 6 boards before fouling out and Emeka Erege and Niki Arinze added 10 apiece. Ulmer point guard Michael Bree finished with 7 points 11 assists and 4 steals. For Jena, American point man Mark Peters had his best game of the season scoring 26 points while distributing 7 assists. Despite his ankle injury, Michael Lake tallied 18 and both Jena big men posted double doubles as Oliver Braun scored 18 with 10 rebounds and Gregor Linke 11 and 10. Newly signed Sebastian Machowski gave Jena 14 points and 3 for 6 three point shooting in 35 minutes of his first game.
Ulm sharpshooter Kenny Price hits a clutch corner three Falling into a tie with Jena at 7-2, ratiopharm Ulm returns home next Saturday night for another tough opponent as Mike T and men welcome USC Freiburg into Sportszentrum Kuhberg for a 7pm tip. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com! GO ULM! MIKE T
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