TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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STRONG SECONDS!
47-26 Second half and Bench play helps Ulm Tops Trier!
ratiopharm Ulm rallied from a 38-32 halftime deficit to outscore host TBB Trier 47-26 in the second half as part of a 79-64 road win Saturday night at Trier Arena. Sebastian Betz buried three big threes, Dru Joyce orchestrated a key third quarter run and Jeff Gibbs scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half to power the comeback win. Ulm's strong second half was sparked by strong second options from the bench --- after a slow start, Betz, Romeo Travis and Florian Mobius helped lift the Ulm attack in their own way. Beating Trier for the third time this season, Ulm won their fourth game in a row, improved their record to 13-14 and pulled back into the race for the 8th playoff place.
Ulm's Sebastian Betz sparked his team with 11 points in the second half including three big threes.
Coming into the game, Trier circled the wagons rallying for an important win in their race against relegation. With a 5-20 record at tipoff, Trier was one game behind LTi Giessen 46ers at 6-19 just below the relegation line. In the 18 team Bundesliga the bottom two teams finishing 17th and 18th move down into the Pro A German 2nd league. Entering Saturday's game on opposite ends of streaks, ratiopharm Ulm brought momentum from their three game win streak while Trier looked to snap their three game skid. With 8 games remaining, every victory is critical to the teams fighting for survival in the Bundesliga. Despite their precarious circumstances, Trier had upgraded their team with the addition of forward Marshall Phillips and return of injured point guard Marcus Taylor. In several close games over recent weeks, at tipoff Trier was a dangerous opponent desperate for a win.
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Ulm's Jeff Gibbs scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half powering the teams offense to a 47-26 advantage and important road win.
With a strong fan turnout at Trier Arena, action opened with Sean Finn scoring on the block. Both teams came up empty on several possessions and the action went back and forth. Trier's defensive intensity surfaced with excellent ballpressure and physical post defense. Ulm's Jeff Gibbs and Konrad Wysocki attacked the basket only to have shots rejected in the paint. Trier's Mike Benton made his defensive presence felt. The scoreboard remained close as both teams worked to establish their rhythm. Trier's Jonathan Moore came off the bench to spark his teams offense with 6 first quarter points and Josh Almanson drilled a left wing three as Ulm retreated to zone in changing defense. Trier also switched to a 2-3 zone but Ulm's attack got Sean Finn several finishes in the lane. The Ulm center topscored in the first quarter with 8 points while point guard Dru Joyce added 6 sinking two important threes. Trier shot 50% from the floor, outrebounded Ulm 11-8 and blocked 4 shots in the first ten minutes. Meanwhile, Ulm shot 35% from the floor. After one quarter, Trier held a 19-18 lead but also held momentum.
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Konrad Wysocki attacks the rim as Mike Benton blocks the shot.
Quarter two opened with Trier making a run. Defensively, Trier forced Ulm misses which turned into fast break transition opportunities. Behind a balanced team attack, Trier outscored Ulm 19-14 in the second quarter and took a lead into half. Entering the game as the #18 rebounding team in the Bundesliga, Trier outrebounded the leagues best rebounding team ratiopharm Ulm 23-17. Trier limited Ulm to 30% shooting in the first half including 4 for 16 (25%) in the second quarter. Ulm also hit only 2 of 14 threes in the first half. Individually, key Ulm players Jeff Gibbs (2 points 0 for 3), Konrad Wysocki (4 points 0 for 3), Bryan Lucas (0 for 3) and EJ Gallup (0 for 6) combined to shoot 0 for 15. Yet, ratiopharm Ulm trailed by only 6, 38-32. Foreshadowing later events, Trier made only 5 of 12 foul shots in the first half helping Ulm stay in the game.
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Ulm's Dru Joyce pushes the ball in transition at Trier Arena. Joyce topscored for Ulm last night with 17 points 5 assists in the win.
At the half, Ulm needed a spark. With key players looking to find their rhythm, the team made their adjustments and returned to the floor hungry for a key win that could pull them back into the playoff race. Ulm's players responded and the team found their spark.
Varying their offensive attack, Ulm's hard cuts broke down the Trier defense and created opportunities for perimeter players and posts. Ulm's offense found the rhythm scoring 26 points in the third quarter making 11 of 17 shots from the floor. EJ Gallup buried a three from the left wing and followed with a pullup in the paint. After scoring 2 points in the first half, Jeff Gibbs aggressively made plays in the lane. Dru Joyce sank another three and scored on layins to up his point total to 17. Ulm erased their 6 point deficit but the hungry Trier team put it back on forcing a mid-third Ulm timeout. Turning to the bench for a spark, newly added Romeo Travis helped Ulm defensively while Sebastian Betz made the difference on the offensive end. Betz drilled a top of the key three to ignite an Ulm rally before sinking an open left corner triple adding to Ulm's lead. In the late third quarter forward Florian Mobius also provided Ulm a defensive boost helping the team matchup with the small and athletic Trier lineup. At the end of the third, Ulm had turned the game in their favor taking a 58-53 margin into the final ten minutes.
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Ulm's EJ Gallup started the teams comeback in the third with a three and pullup J in the lane!
With momentum and confidence, ratiopharm Ulm outscored Trier 21-11 in the fourth quarter to seal the important road win. Jeff Gibbs made several big baskets and key free throws to keep his team scoring down the stretch. Sebastian Betz continued his excellent game hitting a third three and a beautiful baseline fadeaway to total 11 points. An active Konrad Wysocki and athletic Romeo Travis helped the Ulm defense matchup with the small Trier lineup. Trier also suffered several critical misses from the free throw line finishing 11 for 24 from the stripe at 45%. After an intense start for Trier, it was ratiopharm Ulm, sparked by their bench, who had the better second half outscoring the hosts 47-26 to earn a third victory over Trier this season. Dru Joyce led Ulm's offense with a 17 point 5 assist night while Jeff Gibbs scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half along with grabbing a team best 9 rebounds. Sean Finn scored 15 points with 4 boards and Sebastian Betz gave Ulm a big boost from the bench hitting a perfect 4 for 4 from the floor and 3 for 3 from three in adding 11 points. Konrad Wysocki collected 7 points 8 rebounds and 5 assists in a solid game. Ulm shot 42% from the floor and 7 of 21 from three. A key to the game was Ulm's accuracy from the foul line making 18 of 25 for 72% compared with Trier's 11 of 24. Ulm also did a terrific job taking care of the basketball dishing out 15 assists to only 6 turnovers while Trier evened at 14 turnovers with 14 assists. Trier's hardwork and effort helped them outrebound Ulm 39-37 but Ulm won the battle on the boards in the second half 20-16. Daniel Cage and Jonathan Moore shared topscoring honors for Trier with 11 points apiece.
With the win in Trier, ratiopharm Ulm extended their winning streak to four games and pulled back into the race for the 8th playoff spot at 13-14. Bremerhaven, Koln and Braunschweig are all 13-13 and Ludwigsburg is 12 -14. With 7 games remaining, the stretch run of the Bundesliga season will be exciting! Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm Bundesliga Basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
