RSV Lahn-Dill wins 72:65 after 7:31-deficit
The 32nd Hesse-Derby between RSV Lahn-Dill and Mainhatten Skywheelers has potential to get a chapter in the Wheelchair-Basketball-Bundesliga history books. For fifteen minutes the hosting team were shown up by the Skywheelers, before Captain Michael Paye and his team managed to turn around a lost-thought game with heart and fighting spirit.
About 1,050 spectators could not believe what they saw in the first minutes of the game. After 4:7 (4th min) a three by Sebastian Wolk was the start of a phase that an RSV gym has not seen in the last ten years, neither nationally nor internationally. Frankfurt played cat and mouse with a constantly seeming more and more confused team RSV. Via 6:21 (11th min) the hosting team slid into a 7:31-deficit (15th min), that set the rails towards an obvious home defeat, before Head-Coach Nicolai Zeltinger’s team had even started properly.
But after a time-out in the middle of the second quarter the guys presented an awesome strenuous effort when they finally fought back. “This was for me as well one of the most physically demanding games of my career.” admits a marked Zeltinger openly after the game. It was Captain Paye who woke up his team with a three-pointer to 10:31 (15th min), before him and his team-mate Joe Bestwick went for the 18:33 (18th min) shortly after. And when the American scored a three right before the half-time siren went off it was not just the fans who could taste blood again.
In the second half then the hosts did not let go anymore and quickly shortened to 36:38 (24th min) thanks to Jan Haller from the middle distance, before in this emotional game between two friendly teams Dirk Koehler pulled RSV ahead for the first time in this game again right before the siren (50:49). Over all there were 36 fouls called, of which three were unsportsmanlike and two technical fouls.
The Middle Hesse team took off up to a 64:53 (35th min) and by this let the fans almost forget about the bleak first fifteen minutes. But anyone who thought the boys from Frankfurt would just hang their heads was soon be proven wrong by National Team Captain Wolk who sunk a three leading to 70:63 (40th min), that were followed by two free-throws by Magenheim, polishing the result up to 72:65.
“Apparently 24 points deficits don’t mean anything to RSV Lahn-Dill. But I also think it’s impressive that two teams located this closely can wage war against each other on court like this and then still get off court and get on so well with each other. This was, in every way, great advertising for our sport.” Frankfurt’s Team-Manager Pierre Fontaine was very taken with the exciting game at August-Bebel-Sporthalle. Zeltinger added: “We played 15 minutes without heart, but thankfully we found it again in time. But to come back from a score like this is only possible at home when you’re carried by your fans like it was the case today.”
After this win it is definite now that RSV Lahn-Dill will have a spot in the Play-Offs, whilst it is also clear that Roller Bulls St. Vith will be relegated after their 39:73-defeat in Cologne. Next weekend the Middle Hesse team awaits Hamburger SV in Wetzlar.
Lahn-Dill: Michael Paye (22/1), Joe Bestwick (21), Dirk Köhler (16), Jan Haller (11), Björn Lohmann (2), Thomas Böhme, Annabel Breuer, Thomas Gundert, Christopher Huber, Felix Schell, Marco Zwerger (n.e.).
Frankfurt: Sebastian Magenheim (18), Sebastian Wolk (17/2), Lars Lehmann (14), Benjamin Lenatz (12), Anne Brießmann (2), Johannes Hengst (2), Maria Kühn (n.e.), Jan-Niklas Neuroth (n.e.).