Ulm Romps Wurzburg 113-65!
ratiopharm Ulm overwhelmed USC MainFranken Baskets with a 17-2 run starting the third quarter as part of a 69-29 second half to earn their 3rd win of the 2.Bundesliga South 2005-2006 season Saturday night at s.Oliver Arena in Wurzburg, Germany. Ulm's Jonathan Levy topscored for his team with 26 points finishing a sizzling 10-13 from the floor in the game including a momentum building 12 points in Ulm's commanding 33-16 breakout third quarter. Powerful Jeff Gibbs posted his third double double with an impressive 21 point 14 rebound performance highlighted by three hammer dunks energizing his team. Center Maksym Shtein added 17 points and 5 boards despite illness and Christian Grosse continued his outstanding play from the bench with 15 points in the win on 5-6 from the floor and a perfect 3-3 from three point range. Starting point guard Martin Thuesen also reached double figures with 12 points and sparked the team with many clever passes in the third quarter run. The solid team win helped keep Ulm unbeaten at 3-0 and pushed them into first place according to league point differential.
Historical s.Oliver Arena in Wurzburg is the home of Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki. ratiopharm Ulm rolled to a big 113-65 road win Saturday night to improve to 3-0.
USC MainFranken Baskets started the game strong jumping out to an early 8-3 advantage over the heavily favored visitors from Ulm. Battling back, Ulm pulled even and took the lead midway through the first quarter. Ulm's pressure defense created several turnover opportunities against the sloppy Wurzburg ballhandlers. But in both the halfcourt and in transition, Ulm players struggled to finish over the Wurzburg size in the paint. Two seven foot big men patrolled the paint for Wurzburg and both were extremely effective blocking shots and clogging driving lanes in the first half. Burgy Steinbach, a Wurzburg veteran with wonderful character to his game, blocked several Ulm shots early and controled the inside space near the rim. Ulm players tried to draw him to the perimeter but big Burgy would not bite --- when Ulm jumpshots and drives did not go, Burgy settled into the paint and became a factor blocking shots near the basket.
Rather than open the game up with a run, Ulm players relaxed and allowed the hardworking hustle plays of Wurzburg to bring them back into the game. Loose balls, long rebounds and transition trimmed the deficit from 10. Soon, poor Ulm free throw shooting and lessened Ulm defensive intensity gave MainFranken Baskets life. Then, when Emeka Erege fouled Maurice Newby shooting a three, Wurzburg rode momentum from the four point play all the way to the lead at 36-35 with 2 minutes remaining in the first half. Making several substitutions, Ulm players got their composure and rattled off a 9-0 run forcing several steals and converting several big baskets to close out the half. Christian Grosse sank a three from the left wing and sliced down the lane for an athletic driving layup to provide Ulm some breathing room with an 8 point 44-36 halftime lead.
Ulm defense tightened up in the second half outscoring Wurzburg 69-29.
Ulm shot 11-20 from the foul line and was not at maximum defensive intensity level for stretches of the second quarter. The hardworking Wurzburg team stayed close and competitive throughout the first twenty minutes. Clearly improving game by game, veteran Wurzburg players kept their team in the game within striking distance.
Strong defensive adjustments sparked a 17-2 ratiopharm Ulm run starting the second half. Forcing tough shots, creating steals, ripping down defensive rebounds and raising the intensity level, Ulm players created offense from their defense converting break opportunities into layups and points. In the halfcourt, Ulm offense executed set plays bringing twin-tower big men Burgy Steinbach and Marin Bota away from the rim opening up the lane for slashing drives, cuts and finishes in the paint. Putting the big men in ballscreens, Ulm created scoring opportunities and loosened up the lane. As momentum brewed, Ulm perimeter shooting caught fire. Clicking on all cylinders --- registering defensive stops, converting in transition, executing in the halfcourt, finishing in the paint and drilling perimeter j's --- ratiopharm Ulm went on their run.
Ulm point guard Martin Thuesen triggered the run with excellent playmaking and creativity for his teammates. Slicing down the lane and finding passing lanes, Thuesen handed Maksym Shtein, Jeff Gibbs and Jonathan Levy layups and easy scores. Thuesen also finished several cuts and drives with layups of his own as he sparked his team with crafty plays. Gibbs sank a three from the top of the key, scored on plays in the paint and hammered home breakaway dunks that brought the Ulm fans and bench to their feet. When the smoke cleared, the damage had been done in the form of a 33-16 third quarter run.
Jeff Gibbs went to work in the 2nd half to finish the game with 21pts, 14 reb and 3 dunks
Momentum carried over into the fourth quarter as Ulm accelerated while Wurzburg decelerated. Guard Edwin Ofori-Attah continued to push for his team but many of the younger players struggled against Ulm's changing defenses and traps. Turnovers in the fullcourt and halfcourt helped Ulm out into transition for easy baskets. In the halfcourt, Christian Grosse buried a deep three from along the left sideline in Maurice Newby's eye and Jan Sprunken sank a three from the top of the key with such high arc it seemed to narrowly miss the ceiling before swishing through for nothing but net. The 36-13 fourth quarter saw all Ulm players score and helped the team earn their third win of the year.
Legendary German basketball personality Holger Gschwindner --- mentor and coach of Dirk Nowitzki --- coached the Main Franken baskets Saturday against ratiopharm Ulm. Often seen courtside for Mavericks NBA games, Dirk often brings Gschwindner over to help him through shooting slumps or to refine his fundamentals.
Dirk Nowitzki drilling a J in s.Oliver Arena for Wurzburg in 1998
picture from www.xraysfanclub.de
Looking ahead, ratiopharm Ulm hosts upstart MTV Stuttgart Saturday night at Sportszentrum Kuhberg in Ulm for a 7pm tipoff. Although Stuttgart is new to the 2.Bundesliga South this season, veteran players like Radi Tomasevic and Kresimir Miksa (both from Tubingen), Tom Klemm (Bayern Munich) and big man Peter Huber-Saffer (Bonn) are all talented and experienced.
Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com
GO ULM!
MIKE T
