70:47-success against Mainhatten Skywheelers
After a 70:47 (19:14/32:30/50:45) win against Mainhatten Skywheelers in Frankfurt RSV will now start into the Playoffs from spot number one. The away-win was secured in the last quarter, and the very physical game gave a first taste for the Playoffs, in which the Wetzlar team will now have a “best of three” series against BG Baskets Hamburg.
But for three quarters of the game RSV did not manage to shoot ahead of the hosting team, who were throwing their entire physical strength. Only in the last quarter RSV got rid of their doubts and finished the game of sovereignly. “We had to physically hold against the opposition and throw ourselves into battle, which in the end was perfect preparation for the Playoffs that lie ahead.” RSV Head-Coach Nicolai Zeltinger was happy about his team’s performance.
The team had a good start, leading 5:2 (2nd min) after a basket by Michael Paye, but fell back again quite quickly. Frankfurt’s youngster Tim Diedrich scored the 10:7 with his second basket, before Captain Michael Paye corrected that score again with two threes. At 17:10 (7th min) it looked good for the Wetzlar team, but the Skywheelers did not go down without a fight, going for it especially in the first half.
So the Middle Hesse lead at 28:21 (15th min) scored by Centre Joe Bestwick was not a safe one yet. The last couple of minutes before half-time were in the hands of the Skywheelers, who were able to draw 30:30 thanks to former National Player Andreas Kress and top-scorer Sebastian Spitznagel. But this success also had a downside, as the team had a lot of fouls in the first half already. It was Thomas Boehme who saved his team into the break with a lead when he scored the 32:30 just before the whistle was blown.
After turn-over the game continued with a similar pattern. The 35:30 lead scored by Felix Schell and Bjoern Lohmann was turned around by two threes by Spitznagel and another basket by Kress into 38:35 (24th min) for Frankfurt, who then briefly caught the scent of a potential win. But this score was a wakeup-call for the guests from the Lahn-river, who continued to show off their experience and skill for the next 16 minutes.
This phase was a great one for Boehme, who played sovereignly and tough, which is rarely seen in such a young player. “It was great to watch this young player being totally unimpressed by his opponents’ experience.” Zeltinger was obviously happy about his number 13. So the 35:38 was turned into a 46:38 lead for RSV within minutes (28th min). A three by Lars Lehmann did not change a lot and the third quarter ended 50:45 for the guests.
The last quarter then was dominated by the Wetzlar team, 20:2 in the entire quarter got them a not in the slightest jeopardized win and the pole position in the final table of the RBBL. Whilst this means that the league is now finished for Frankfurt, RSV are only just starting. In March there are the Playoff Semi Final, the EuroLeague in Sardinia and the DRS Cup Final Four lying ahead. The team will be travelling to Hamburg next weekend; the game that will start off the “best of three” series will be on Saturday at 19:30. In the second part of the semi-finals Zwickau and RSB Team Thueringen will fight for a spot in the final. Teams facing relegation this year are Jena Caputs and Roller Bulls St. Vith, the latter having lost against Cologne 99ers in a very exciting game last weekend.
Frankfurt: Andreas Kress (12), Sebastian Spitznagel (11/2 threes), Johannes Hengst (8), Tim Diedrich (7), Lars Lehmann (5/1), Annegrit Brießmann (2), Christoph Spitz (2), Maria Kühn, Anna-Maria Müller, Sven Diedrich (n.e.).
Lahn-Dill: Thomas Böhme (19), Steve Serio (17/1), Michael Paye (16/1), Joe Bestwick (10), Felix Schell (6), Björn Lohmann (2), Annabel Breuer, Jan Haller, Marco Zwerger, Dirk Köhler (n.e.).