Deserved 92:30-win against promoted team Hannover United
Title-defendants RSV Lahn-Dill had their first home game. The team had a 92:30 (25:4/47:16/70:25) win against inferior, but morally strong promoted team Hannover United.
“I’m starting to get a bit scared” said RSV Head-Coach Nicolai Zeltinger jokingly after the game in front of around 900 spectators. “It is surprising how homogenous the team is after such a short preparation period. This shows again how important continuity within the team is.” He added “We actually expected that we would reach our top game around the playoffs, but looking at this we’re already very far and need to try and stabilize this level.”
The game started off with a 11:0-run (4th min) and continued via 17:2 (7th min) and 29:4 (12th min). One of the reasons for the brilliant score in the end was the fact that the quartet Dirk Koehler, Felix Shell, Joe Bestwick and Thomas Boehme alone managed to get 33 rebounds out of 46:24 overall. In the middle of the second quarter Hannover had their strongest phase, keeping the score level at 12:12 between the 12th and 18th minute. But then RSV picked up their pace before halftime, Boehme scored eight points in a row and the team went into the break with a 47:16-score.
The team returned focused and put up the pressure. Captain Michael Paye started off, and was only to be stopped by a three by Hannover’s Jan Sadler. He got a quick response by Steve Serio though, who scored himself then from beyond the 6,75-mark. The hosts had another 8:0-run in the last quarter that lead the scoreboard change to 84:30 (36th min), but the sonic barrier at 100 wasn’t broken as the guests put up a good fight.
Not only did RSV have an impressive rebound-dominance, but also scored 60 per cent in the offence. Especially US-National Player Steve Serio showed his skills with 75 per cent, as well as 12 assists.
Lahn-Dill: Thomas Böhme (26/1 Dreier), Michael Paye (22), Dirk Köhler (13), Steve Serio (13/1), Joe Bestwick (8), Jan Haller (6), Felix Schell (4), Annabel Breuer, Björn Lohmann, Marco Zwerger.
Hannover: Leon Ole Schöneberg (8), Martin Kluck (7), Sebastiao Nijman (6), Jan Sadler (5), Oliver Jantz (4), Linda Dahle, Eike Gößling.