RSV Lahn-Dill convinces with 86:40 against Köln
There were no surprises on the 18th and last day of the main round in the Wheelchair-Basketball Bundesliga. After the 86:40 (21:10/45:20/68:34) win against the Cologne 99ers the title defendants will play against RSB Team Thueringen, who did their job just as well against HSV with 89:47, in the Playoff Semi-Final next Saturday.
It was noticeable for around 1.100 spectators in the August-Bebel-Sporthalle that the team’s focus was mentally already set onto next week’s Playoffs. In a concentrated and determined game it was Dirk Koehler who opened with his first basket. In the end he had added 12 points to his personal account, upping it to 4.971 and getting him closer and closer to the 5.000 mark.
Where the game was headed was already clear after a three-pointer by Michael Paye, excelling yet again, leading to 11:4 (7th min). The game went via 25:12 (12th min) after two free-throws by Thomas Boehme, and 40:16 (18th min) after shots by Marco Zwerger towards half-time. Next to these two it was most of all Michael Paye setting his stamp on this game. Down to his back-injury his team-mate Joe Bestwick seemed limited today. “We had to take Joe out in the end to rest him a bit. His injury was getting to him, and his health is obviously priority“. said Head-Coach Zeltinger, whilst team-doctor Petra Michel-Leutheuser took care of the 28-year-old straightaway.
After half-time the game continued the way it started, a 7:0-run moving the score to 52:20 (24th min), but a time-out seemed to let the 99ers, who succeeded 4 times in their last five games, find themselves better into the game. Up to the 68:36 (31st min) the game seemed level most of the time, above all down to Thomas Becker. The National Player used his opportunities to present himself in the best light for RSV and National Coach Nicolai Zeltinger to be part of this year’s European’s in Frankfurt. He added 22 points to his team’s score and had a hit-quota of 61 per cent. The Cologne run was only temporary, as a 8-point run by Thomas Boehme pushed the scoreboard to 78:36 (35th min) before youngster Chris Huber and Jan Haller closed the game.
“We have seen an awake and pressing game today, our defence was good. We will now start intensive training for the game against our semi-final opponents Team Thueringen and are looking forward to an exciting game.” said Head-Coach Zeltinger after the game. The semi-final against Thueringen will take place next Saturday at 19:30 in August-Bebel-Sporthalle. The second semi-final will decide between Mainhatten Skywheelers and RSC-Rollis Zwickau.
Lahn-Dill: Michael Paye (30), Thomas Böhme (20), Dirk Köhler (12), Jan
Haller (10), Joe Bestwick (8), Christopher Huber (2), Felix Schell (2),
Marco Zwerger (2), David Amend, Thomas Gundert, Björn Lohmann.
Köln: Thomas Becker (22), Lars Bergenthal (8), Patrick Richter (6), Frederic
Jäntsch (2), Marina Mohnen (2), Sedat Özbicerler, Dominik Zielke.