Ulm Rolls to win 17 in Nordlingen 107-83!
ratiopharm Ulm rolled to their 17th straight 2.Bundesliga South league win with a strong 107-83 victory in Nordlingen Sunday evening. Jonathan Levy caught fire from the perimeter in the third quarter on his way to a team best 24 points and Jeff Gibbs powered his way to a 19 point 15 rebound double-double in the paint for Ulm. As a team, Ulm was a sizzling 64% from the floor and 52% from the three point line. Levy sank 7 of 9 three point attempts and Emeka Erege was a perfect 6 for 6 from the floor. In total, seven of eleven Ulm players shot over 50% from the floor.
HIGH FLYER! Ulm's Jonathan Levy hammers the finish of this fastbreak!
Sunday January 29, 2006 5pm
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ratiopharm Ulm boarded the team bus at 2pm traveling just over an hour north into Bavaria for a 5pm tipoff against nearby neighbor Nordlingen Sunday night. Anticipating a hardfought and competitive game, Ulm players knew they would need their best effort and sharpest focus. Taking after Captain Emeka Erege's business-like approach, ratiopharm Ulm players prepared for an important game. A victory over Nordlingen meant two wins where 2nd place Jena had lost giving Ulm an upper hand. Second, a victory over Nordlingen would gain Ulm another game over both Chemnitz and Kaiserslautern who both lost this weekend --- this on top of the significance of every win on the way to clinching the 2.Bundesliga South league championship. But Ulm knew Nordlingen would be no push-over as their homecourt can be a hornets nest for opponents, a fact best exemplified by 3 Nordlingen upset wins over the top 6 teams in the league this season. Certainly, Sunday set the table for fireworks!
Nordlingen's Tony McCrory (#7), driving against Ulm's Emeka Erege, made big plays for his team.
Before tipoff, Nordlingen fans packed the gym prepared for their teams shot to knock off the unbeaten league leaders from Ulm. A pep band paraded through the gym marching around the court blaring their musical instruments in costumes that looked like Oakland Raider fans any given sunday at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium. As teams took the floor, supportive Nordlingen fans unveiled a giant sign depicting the historically famous Nordlingen city wall underwhich read "we stand behind you like a wall". Clearly, Nordlingen and their fans were ready.
Winning the tip, Nordlingen attacked first. Their possession would be the first of several early empty possessions for both teams. Finally, Jonathan Levy broke the ice with a top of the key three. Jeff Gibbs established himself inside early in the game while the Ulm offense drilled several perimeter shots to begin the game hot. Nordlingen's Cedric Brooks and Kevin Hanson inspired their team with baskets. Brooks drove hard into the paint and converted two strong AND1 plays through tough Ulm defense. Hanson, meanwhile, took post touches on the right block and went to work with several nice step throughs and crafty inside finishes against Ulm center Maksym Shtein. Ulm maintained an early lead, but Nordlingen kept pace. Ulm used a 10-5 scoring run pushing their lead from 11-10 to 21-15 in the first quarter. Konrad Wysocki entered the game and provided Ulm with an immediate spark. The versatile forward demonstrated his skills on both ends of the floor defending both inside and outside players while scoring in transition, off a stick back and from a sweet right wing three pointer. By the end of the first quarter, Ulm held a 25-19 lead.
Nordlingen's Cedric Brooks had pushed the ball effectively in the first quarter and Kevin Hanson scored inside well. Dominique Klein entered the game with immediate positive results for the home team. Klein was on his way to a team best 11 point first half. And Tony McCrory showed why he was so valuable to Nordlingen this season with a strong first quarter.
Ulm's Konrad Wysocki sparked his team with solid play on both ends of the floor. The versatile forward finished with 12 points in the win.
As the second quarter began, Nordlingen defenders picked up their pressure. Ulm handled the ball and executed well against the aggressive Nordlingen D. Jeff Gibbs continued his powerful inside play. Emeka Erege hustled for a loose ball diving on the floor to collect the rock before dishing it off to Gibbs under the basket for a thunder dunk! Maksym Shtein scored inside with two strong move and the inside-out Ulm attack plugged on. Up 33-24, Ulm failed to help teammates stranding the point guard against pressure. The resulting turnover was a perfect example to discuss specific adjustments the team need to make to keep the offense clicking. After a turnover at midcourt, Mike T called a timeout. Rather than stand and watch like a spectator, Ulm players were instructed to cut, move and get open away from the basketball. Along the same lines, Ulm point guards were instructed to beat pressure and make plays under control. The timeout proved productive as Ulm returned to the floor and increased the advantage to 40-30.
But Nordlingen would fight with their heart on this day. Long three point shots led to long rebounds and Nordlingen benefitted from several convenient bounces. Ulm defended well for 22 or 23 seconds of the shot clock but failed to finish off plays allowing loose balls to be recovered by Nordlingen, surrendering several offensive rebounds and most important, giving up shot clock buzzer beating contested three pointers. Dominique Klein hit a buzzer beating three from the left wing off post reaction. Tony McCrory hit a pull up J over the outstretched arms of Emeka Erege. Ulm's lead decreased to 44-36 in an instant. As the game tightened, Ulm's Jeff Gibbs relentlessly rebounded and finished inside. Scoring on stickbacks and hardwork inside, Gibbs talled 11 points in the first half and surged his team ahead 48-39 by halftime.
Mario Probst (#4) to the hoop! Cedric Brooks pulls up in transition!
At the half, Ulm focused on finishing defensive possessions, rebounding before running, matching up and stopping the basketball earlier and attacking pressure on the offensive end. Selecting the second half offensive game plan, Ulm returned to the floor focused to make a run.
Unfortunately, it was Nordlingen's Tony McCrory who got on the early run. The skilled forward created shots off the dribble, made active cuts, drilled pull up J's and posted up on the block. A pull up 3, a strong drive and a baseline two hand dunk energized the Nordlingen team. But foul trouble began to mount for the home team. Ulm's bench and depth had become a factor. When Nordlingen center Kevin Hanson was whistled for his third foul, Nordlingen head coach Zoltan Nagy opted to play with a smaller more athletic lineup featuring Dominique Klein at the undersized 4 spot. With Ulm stretching the lead to 10 at 54-44 with 7 minutes remaining in the 3rd. Maksym Shtein was key scoring big inside baskets during this stretch. Triggered by solid team defense, Ulm began to stretch the lead. In the final 3 minutes of the third, Ulm increased the lead from 10 to 13 to 17 finally setting the score at 77-60 after three.
Nordlingen forward Dominique Klein was active all evening enjoying a solid game. Klein sliced to the basket on drives, rebounded and hit open J's.
Blasting out of the blocks to start the fourth quarter fast, ratiopharm Ulm reeled off an 11-3 run breaking the game open behind sizzling hot outside shooting from the Ulm backcourt. Jonathan Levy drilled a deep three from the left wing. Then, on an endline inbound situation, Levy sank his second triple in under one minute. Next, Ulmer PG Martin Thuesen swished a clucth 3ball from the left wing. Levy blanked out for a second and pulled a "Kobe", but his heat-check was off. Whistled for a blocking foul stopping a Brooks drive, Ulm's Jonathan Levy fired up the rowdy Ulm crowd with his big shots that helped give Ulm control at 85-63 with 8 minutes remaining. One minute later, Nordlingen head coach Zoltan Nagy removed starters Cedric Brooks, Kevin Hanson and Tony McCrory replacing them with young players from the teams bench. Ulm's lead looked insurmountable at 88-66 with 7 minutes to play. The Nordlingen second team played well attacking Ulm aggressively and cutting into the lead. Three point shots from Mario Probst and Dominique Klein trimmed the margin to 91-77. After Probst's pull up three in transition, an Ulm timeout refocused the team. Players seemed to be celebrating the victory a bit too prematurely and the timeout helped them get it together. Back to back baskets, including a terrific Florian Mobius transition slam dunk and another Mobius sweeping scoop reverse layup rebuilt the lead to 95-77. Minutes later, a Christian Grosse pull up jumper off glass further settled the team down. Ulm's young prospects Benni Gulde and Antonis Sivorotka cracked the scoring column --- Gulde sank one of two free throws to hit the century mark for Ulm while Sivorotka stayed active on the offensive boards and in transition resulting in a late score. When the final buzzer sounded, Ulm walked off the floor with a hardearned 107-83 road win.
BIG MEN: Ulm's Maksym Shtein defends Nordlingen's Kevin Hanson.
Ulm Captain Emeka Erege slices to the hoop between Nordlingen's Tony McCrory (7) and Mario Matic (10). Erege was near perfect in the game sinking 6 of 6 shots from the floor and 4 of 5 from the foul line to finish with 16 points.
ratiopharm Ulm hit 12 of 23 (52%) three pointers on the evening and drilled 40 of 62 (64%) from the floor. The team combined for 18 assists led by point guard Martin Thuesen's five. On an evening which every Ulm player scored, Levy led the way with 24 points on 7 of 9 three point shooting followed by Jeff Gibbs' 19 point 15 rebound double double. Emeka Erege's near perfect 6-6 from the field 4-5 from the foul line resulted in 16 points and Konrad Wysocki played extremely well for Ulm adding 12 points on 4-5 from the floor. Maksym Shtein added 9 points and both Ulm point guards Martin Thuesen and Christian Grosse scored 8 points apiece. Nordlingen was led by athletic forward Dominique Klein who topscored with 23 points 8 rebounds. Tony McCrory added 18 points and Center Kevin Hanson was solid with 16 points 7 rebounds. Cedric Brooks contributed 11 points and 4 steals in the loss. Nordlingen shot 42% from the floor and 38% from the three point line for the game.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Ulm players (and coach) tie up team physio Andi Lacher with athletic tape and display him to fans to celebrate Andi's birthday Sunday in Nordlingen.
Ulm celebrates the 107-83 road win in Nordlingen with their fans!
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GO ULM!
MIKE T
