Skywheelers, Heidelberg, RSB Thueringen and RSV Lahn-Dill in the Final Four
Title-defendants RSV Lahn-Dill got their ticket for the Final Four in the DRS-Cup (29th – 30th of March 2014) in their last game of the year. The team beat BG Baskets Hamburg in the quarter final in front of around 850 spectators at August-Bebel-Sporthalle in Wetzlar 71:54 (28:14/42:21/54:43) and that way saved their spot for the final cup round.
The team did that by basically eliminating the threat of Hamburg’s offensive weapon Hiroaki Kozai. The Japanese who usually averages 28 points per game only got to score meagre eight points. “This was of course the key to success” says a in this regard happy Nicolai Zeltinger after the game. But the head-coach was not happy with the whole performance of his team, despite their solid efforts at the start.
After former RSV-player Annika Zeyen and Dutchman Robin Poggenwisch delivered the 4:4 (2nd min), RSV got into their stride. The team managed to get Dirk Koehler into great situations under the basket so that he had scored 8 points in the first quarter. If this play was not possible it was the US-Americans Michael Paye and Steve Serio who pushed the scoreboard via 19:10 (8th min) to 42:18 (19th min) with distance throws or fast breaks.
„We can be very happy about the first half, it was pretty spotless, but the third quarter definitely needs a closer analysis.” Nicolai Zeltinger had to watch when his team seemed to lose the thread completely. After Jan Haller’s 54:30 (27th min) the northern Germans with the completely newly structured team took advantage of RSV’s growing laxness and started creeping up point by point. Especially Gesche Schuenemann used her opportunities and scored 9 points against her former team, which suddenly got Hamburg to 43:54 at the end of the third quarter.
It took two time-outs by coach Nicolai Zeltinger to wake up his team from their snooze, but afterwards RSV continued with their solid work. “After the 0:13 run and the shock that came with it we found our way back into the game again.” When Koehler scored the 69:49 (38th min) after a three by Steve Serio the game came to an early decision and the ticket to the final four was essentially booked.
An event that will be missed by RSC-Rollis Zwickau, who after two defeats in the league now also lost in the DRS Cup against RSB Team Thueringen 61:68. The team from Elxleben will now play against Mainhatten Skywheelers in the Final Four, who beat second league team Kaiserslautern. RSV will be playing against league-opposition SGK Heidelberg, who beat second league team Rahden sovereignly 71:51. It will be the 18th time RSV is playing in the Final Four and a good in-between goal ahead of trying to defeat last year’s title.
Lahn-Dill: Steve Serio (19/1 Dreier), Michael Paye (16/1), Joe Bestwick (12), Dirk Koehler (12), Thomas Boehme (4), Annabel Breuer (4), Jan Haller (2), Bjoern Lohmann (2), Christopher Huber, Felix Schell, Marco Zwerger, David Amend (n.e.).
Hamburg: Gesche Schuenemann (14/1), Robin Poggenwisch (13), Hiroaki Kozai (8), Lukas Hartig (6), Marc van de Kuilen (4), Dirk Thalheim (4), Edina Mueller (2), Annika Zeyen (2), Nikolaus Classen (1), Jan-Niklas Neuroth.