TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
96 
84
SLOW START STYMIES ULM!
Facing a wave of emotion and enthusiasm from the east German crowd, ratiopharm Ulm started slow falling behind 25-9 after the first quarter as MittelDeutscher Basketball Club raised their Pro A championship banner and celebrated their return to the Bundesliga playing the first home game at Stadthalle since financially crashing in 2004. Ulm fought back throughout the game outscoring MBC in each of the final three quarters, but in the end, the Wolves held on for the 96-84 victory Sunday evening at Stadthalle in Weissenfels Germany.
ratiopharm Ulm's Rocky Trice attacks the basket in the second half of Sundays game at Stadthalle in Weissenfels Germany. Rocky was excellent for Ulm scoring 17 points with 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Click here for regio-tv Report
click here for Box score
After a hardfought opening game home loss to Telekom Baskets Bonn Friday night at Sportszentrum Kuhberg in Ulm, ratiopharm Ulm went through a light practice Saturday afternoon before boarding their team bus for the trip to Weissenfels in east Germany. Well-aware of the pre-game emotion involved with the home opener for an 'Aufsteiger', Ulm prepared to meet the challenge against MBC.
ratiopharm Ulm power forward Christian Burns makes a strong move to the basket as MBC's Ivan Elliot in Sundays game.
At tip off, ratiopharm Ulm started slow as the young team was inundated by the emotion of MBC's first home game. Ulm suffered 10 first quarter turnovers as the Wolves raced to an early lead. Hitting 70% of their shots in the first quarter, MBC built a 20-5 lead and held a 25-9 advantage after the end of one. Ulm's offense was disjointed as the young team struggled to find their rhythm in the second game of the season. Meanwhile, MBC played with tremendous emotion and energy as they celebrated their return to the Bundesliga in front of a sold out home crowd.
ratiopharm Ulm rookie point guard Kevin Kanaskie drives into the lane against MBC's Giorgi Gamqrelidze.
But as Ulm struggled to find their offensive flow in quarter one, quarter two showed flashes of the young teams ability to score quickly. Ulm produced 33 points in the second quarter as they fought their way back into the game. Five straight three pointers brought Ulm back as Lee Humphrey triggered the mid-second quarter Ulm run hitting three threes followed by one triple apiece from Kevin Kanaskie and Robin Benzing. In a four minute stretch, Ulm cut the MBC lead to one 33-32. But after an MBC timeout, sharpshooting wing Nikhita Khartchenkov sank three straight threes helping MBC respond with a run of their own. The late first half surge pushed MBC to a 56-42 halftime lead.
At the half, Ulm could reflect on the first half with positives and negatives. The young Ulm team overcame their slow start withstanding the wave of emotion early in the game coming back from a 25-9 deficit to pull within one at 33-32. However, in the process of coming back, Ulm expended tremendous energy and the defensive breakdowns that led to the Khartchenkov threes were especially costly late in the half as MBC rebuilt their lead. In the first half, Ulm's defense allowed MBC to shoot 68% from the floor and 80% from three. Even Ulm's 67% three point accuracy could not keep pace as the young ratiopharm Ulm team converted only 42% from the floor in the first half. Consistency was a concern for Ulm as the team went from 9 points in the first quarter to 33 in the second. Clearly, team defense was the topic of discussion in the Ulm halftime lockerroom.
ratiopharm Ulm captain Lee Humphrey looks for an open teammate against an MBC double team. Lee drilled three of six threes to score 11 points in the game.
As the second half started, Ulm saw MBC lengthen their lead and five minutes into the third the Wolves held a 67-49 advantage. Ulm had fought back before and outscored MBC 16-11 over the last five minutes of the third giving the Wolves a 78-65 lead going into the fourth. Changing defenses helped the young Ulm team stabalize themselves and produce defensive stops. Offensively, Ulm's Rocky Trice, Robin Benzing and Per Gunther sparked the third quarter run. After outscoring MBC 33-31 in the second quarter, Ulm outscored MBC 23-33 in the third. But could ratiopharm Ulm turn the tide of momentum in the final ten minutes?
ratiopharm Ulm point guard Per Gunther penetrates against MBC's Giorgi Gamqrelidze in Sunday's action at Stadthalle in Weissenfels.
In the fourth, Ulm continued to cut the gap. With 7 minutes remaining, ratiopharm Ulm pulled within 7 points at 80-73. At the five minute mark, MBC extended an 85-73 lead before Ulm responded coming back. Ulm's Per Gunther sank one of two foul shots bringing Ulm back to 85-76 and four straight points from Christian Burns trimmed the MBC lead to five at 85-80 with three minutes to play. A crucial turnover and missed three put the game in MBC's hands and the Bundesliga 'Aufsteiger' sealed their second win of the season with late game free throws. At the final buzzer, MBC capped their pre-game celebrations with a 96-84 Game Day 2 home win.
ratiopharm Ulm rookie forward Robin Benzing drives to the rim on his way to two of his 17 points in Sundays game.
ratiopharm Ulm was led by Rocky Trice who finished with a game best 17 point 6 rebound 5 assist performance while rookie forward Robin Benzing added 17 points of his own to Ulm's attack. Per Gunther finished with 12 points and Lee Humphrey hit three of six threes for 11 points in the loss. As a team, Ulm shot 46% from the floor hitting 10 of 16 threes (63%) and 18 of 22 free throws (82%). Ulm outrebounded MBC 33-28 and outscored MBC in each of the final three quarters. But in the end, the Wolves 63% floor shooting and 25-9 first quarter proved too be the keys to MBC's 96-84 win. Nikhita Khartchenkov led a balanced MBC attack with 14 points including a perfect four for four from three.
ratiopharm Ulm post man Coleman Collins was well-defended by the physical MBC defense in Sunday's game. Here, Coleman manuevers past a leaning Guido Grunheid (right) and a rotating Ade Dagundro.
Ulm's road trip to east Germany resulted in quality experience for the young team as the game allowed the team to pin-point several areas that need attention and work. Unfortunately, Ulm's slow start put the young team in a hole overshadowing the positives of the game. Falling to 0-2 on the season, ratiopharm Ulm returns to the practice court Tuesday in preparation for next weekends games Friday home against brose Baskets Bamberg and Sunday away against Phoenix Hagen. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm Bundesliga Basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
