Ulm Rallies for Thrilling 89-86 Road Win!
Christian Grosse's transition basket with 13 seconds remaining gave ratiopharm Ulm their first lead and Jan Sprunken's last second steal capped Ulm's sensational comeback victory over TV Langen Giraffes 89-86 Saturday night at Georg-Sehring-Halle in Langen Germany. Jonathan Levy's 23 points and Jeff Gibbs' powerful 17 point 14 rebound double-double kept Ulm close throughout the game before the team stormed back to steal with win in the last two minutes.
Ulm GM Thomas Stoll and Mike T before tip-off
New coach Frankie Ignatovic preapred his Giraffes well as the new-look team jumped out on Ulm early in the first quarter. Three straight turnovers to start the game unsettled Ulm and gave Langen momentum. After a timeout to settle the troops, Ulm saw the Giraffes extend their lead to 19-11 before Jonathan Levy's back to back buckets sliced the deficit to 19-15 at the end of one.
Turnovers, sloppy execution and missed free throws characterized Ulm's spell in the second quarter. Meanwhile, point guard Ty Harrelson and shooting guard Sebastian Barth consistently made plays to push the Giraffes ahead. Mounting momentum fed the Langen fire as Ulm seemed to shoot themselves in the foot with a turnover, missed shot or poor play. The Giraffes spirits rose as they ran to a double-digit lead outscoring Ulm 29-24 in the second quarter to eventually carry a 48-39 advantage into halftime.
At the half, the numbers spoke for themselves. Trailing by 9, Ulm shot 3-15 from three point range and their post players attempted only 8 shots. The team suffered 14 turnovers and hit only 10 of 20 free throws. On top of these sickley statistics, Ulm allowed Langen to make hustle plays on them in the first half. Addressing several points on both ends of the floor, Ulm players vowed to make adjustments, fight back and cut into the lead. The team knew with improved shot selection, consistent defensive stops and making some free throws, they could get back into the game.
But early in the second half, the game continued to belong to Langen. With 6 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Langen's lead elongated to 12 at 57-45. Needing big plays, Ulm turned to their captain Emeka Erege. The small forward wheeled into the lane and elevated over Giraffes in the paint for a running right hander. Maksym Shtein followed with two free throws and a momentum-jolting three pointer trimming the Langen lead to four, 57-53. The 8-0 run was just what Ulm needed. An important substitution that helped the run was sending Jan Sprunken onto the floor. The veteran shooter changed several matchups and helped Ulm establish defensive stops. A Koray Karaman tip-in in the paint regained two points for the Giraffes, but Jonathan Levy buried a big three to set the score at 59-56. Unfortunately for Ulm, Langen re-established an 8 point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Crafty passing and playmaking from point guard Ty Harrelson keyed the Langen offense.
Jan Sprunken (9) was a key contributor to Ulm's comeback
Early in the fourth, it seemed like Langen would regain control of the game. The Giraffes seemed to have an answer for every Ulm run. With 8 minutes remaining, Levy buried another big three slicing the score to 69-64. Langen lengthened to 73-64. Ulm needed a bucket. With the shot clock running down and tension mounting, Christian Grosse cooly dribbled off a ball screen to bury a pull-up three from the top of the key energizing Ulm and cutting the lead to 73-67. But on the other end, Sebastian Barth answered right back with a big three of his own off penetration and pitch from Harrelson extending the Langen lead back to 9. Time continuted to tick down. Langen could sense the upset. Ulm players could as well.
Stepping up when the team needed them the most, Jonathan Levy and Jeff Gibbs kept Ulm in striking distance with huge baskets. With 3:30 to play, Langen held an 81-74 advantage.
In winning time, Ulm players made plays. Erege scored inside and Jan Sprunken took a homerun pass from Jeff Gibbs for an uncontested layup. 82-78, Ulm climbed back. At the 3 minute mark Langen big man Mirko Damjanovic got a friendly roll tipping in a miss in the paint and Langen led 84-78. Driving hard down the lane, Sprunken was fouled and sank one of two foul shots pulling Ulm one point closer at 84-79. Ulm defense recorded a critical stop giving the team an opportunity. After executing their set and missing a shot, a loose ball went out of bounds off a Langen defender with just over 2 minutes to play.
Langen Giraffes controlled play for 38 minutes but came up short. Here, big man Koray Karaman draws defenders as Sebastian Adeberg (13) cuts baseline for a basket.
Endline inbound, Langen up 5, knowing this was a key possession, Ulm head coach Mike Taylor called for timeout. Drawing up the endline set and setting defensive and offensive tactics for the next game-deciding possessions, Ulm clearly communicated the insturctions for the stretch run. Off the inbound play, perfect execution put the ball in Jan Sprunken's hands cutting to the ballside corner. Playing a two man game with Maksym Shtein who was posting up on the left block, Sprunken fed the post, cut to the corner and took a relocation pass from Shtein. At this critical time, Sprunken was 0-6 from three point land in the game --- but when his team needed him the most, Sprunken sent his corner J straight to China swishing through a game changing three as the clock ticked near two minutes.
With fire in their eyes, Ulm defenders dug in. After slowing down the Giraffes, Ulm's Jonathan Levy went for a steal on the left wing. Coming up empty with his gamble, Levy ran by Langen guard Ty Harrelson who smoothly sweeped through and drove diagonally 45degrees to the basket. Rotating to help, the menacing defensive presence of Jeff Gibbs stepped in his way. Leaving his feet to pass, Harrelson got caught in the air after he was fooled by Gibbs fake help. With no-one to pass to, Harrelson pass-faked middle, double pumped the ball and fired a line-drive floater hard off the glass for two. Under two minutes, Langen maintained their 86-82 lead. But Harrelson's awkward airborn banker would be the last basket Langen would see.
After an aggressive drive from Gibbs came up empty, Ulm sent Sebastian Barth to the foul line after he worked baseline on a drive. To this point in the game, Langen had been superiorly consistent sinking 25 of 29 free throws. But with a chance to seal the win, Barth, a super young shooter, came up empty. Ulm had new life.
Trailing 86-82 Ulm pushed the ball with nearly one minute and a half remaining. After executing their play, Ulm's strong offensive possession was rewarded when Maksym Shtein's power move down the lane drew a Giraffe foul. Shtein stepped up and hit the first free throw pulling Ulm closer at 86-83. Unforunately for Ulm, Shtein's second foul shot sailed long and came off the rim hard left. But fortunately for Ulm, the relentless rebounder Jeff Gibbs skied to grab the drifting ball high above Langen blockout men at the left block. Landing on two feet with a wide, powerful base, Gibbs took one dribble baseline positioning his body to protect the ball. In true Charles Barkley mode, Gibbs powered his way up to score the stickback and bring Ulm to the brink.
Ulm down by one 86-85, 1:14 remained on the game clock. Digging in, the Ulm defense registered a crunch-time stop. As Ulm advanced the ball, the team repeatedly called out their set play. 43 seconds slipped off the clock as tension rose. Levy pounded the ball up top while his teammates cut to their spots. As the play unfolded, Ulm reversed the basketball and found Levy cutting to the left wing on the opposite side of the floor. Levy took the ballreversal pass in rhythm and rose up over everyone. A good look, Jono's shot rattled out and Langen power forward Mirko Damjanovic secured the ball. Alertly, Emeka Erege immediately fouled. An unselfish, team first player, Ulm's captain fouled out on the play.
19 seconds on the fourth quarter clock, Langen up one 86-85, with Damjanovic shooting 2 because of team fouls, Ulm's Mike Taylor called for a timeout to ice the shooter and set strategy. In the huddle, Christian Grosse was inserted into the lineup to replace Erege because of the young Ulmer guard's excellent outside shooting ability.
Out of the timeout, Ulm fans went crazy making noise, banging drums, waving hands, doing anything to distract Damjanovic. It must have worked because Mirko missed the first shot hard. Ulm players mentally adjusted their shot selection for the upcoming offensive possession --- at most down two, attack the basket!
When Damjanovic clanked the back-end, Jonathan Levy ripped down the rebound and burst up the floor just left of center court. Spotting a wide open Christian Grosse drifting along the left wing ahead of the pack, Levy zipped a ball ahead pass to his teammate. Driving hard to the rim from the left wing, Grosse sliced by Langen's Sebastian Barth who went up straight with two hands on the left block. Christian skillfully banked his leaner in off the backboard from straight on to finally give Ulm the lead 87-86 with 13 seconds left.
Better late than never, Ulm's rally shocked the Giraffes who were slow to inbound the ball. Ulm defenders did a fine job of denying primary ballhandlers and Langen moved the ball up the left sideline to 3pt shooting center Koray Karaman in front of the scorers table. Rotating over, Jan Sprunken once again came up big. This time, Sprunken stripped Karaman of the ball and recovered the steal sealing Ulm's sensational come from behind win. Sprunken dribbled time off the clock and spotted Grosse open for a skip pass. Grosse then found a wide open Jeff Gibbs who emphatically slammed home the final two points of the game with one second remaining.
The amazing 89-86 Ulm come from behind win demonstrated excellent character and teamwork down the stretch. Of course much credit should be given to Langen for their excellent game and how hard they played. Clearly Ulm dodged a bullet in Game Day 1 as Langen deserved to win the game but somehow, Ulm found a way to pull it off!
A fan bus full of SUPER Ulm supporters helped Ulm's rally!!
Riding the wave of momentum, ratiopharm Ulm returns to Sportszentrum Kuhberg for their home opener of the 2005-2006 season, a 6pm tip off against Nordlingen. Monday October 3rd is a National Holiday in Germany celebrating the Unification of Germany in the early 1990's.
Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com
GO ULM!
MIKE T
