77:71 – success despite a brilliant performance by PassiwanRSV Lahn-Dill finished their sixth game of the season with a clean record after their 77:71 (17:15/40:36/53:55) win against Doneck Dolphins Trier. The exciting and tense battle turned into a spectacular show by Dirk Passiwan, and was tight until three minutes before end. “This game was perfect advertising for our sport and a brilliant test for our top-game next weekend in Thueringen” said RSV Coach Zeltinger after the game about these 2 important points. The team did display some unusual gaps in their defence: “it is particularly difficult to defend against a top-player like Dirk Passiwan, so it’s only natural that there will be gaps at other ends.” was Zeltinger’s comment to Passiwans performance this Saturday. After a perfect start leading to 9:0 (3rd min), RSV already knew exactly what they were in for, most of all when National Player Passiwan scored his second three, leading to 13:10. The game continued pretty level, despite the Middle Hesse hosts keeping in front a tiny bit. But the following fourth and then fifth three pointer by Passiwan, leading to 27:29 (15th min) and then 35:36 (19th min) predicted a very tight game. RSV went into half-time with an advance, as Steve Serio managed to respond to Passiwan with a three of his own two seconds before the siren, leading to 40:36. Overall, the US-American scored 19 points, got 14 assists and had a high percentage from the free-throw-line, scoring 8 of 9 shots. The game continued to be tense, much to the benefit of the excited crowd, with RSV keeping their advance only slightly, leading 53:51 (29th min) just before the end of the third quarter. But the guests knew they had a shot at winning this game, kept their cool facing a possible surprise outcome, and turned the game around for themselves to a 53:57-lead. As well as Passiwan, Latvian National Player Diana Dadzite had a great game. But RSV, who lost their last home-game against Hamburg on the 4th of January playing without the US-Nationals, did not like to see this, which the crowd at August-Bebel-Halle expressed rather noisily. As well as this, it was especially Centre Joe Bestwick, who threw his physicality on court, and was the deciding factor for this tense last leg of the game. The 30-year-old Briton got the lead back at 58:57 (33rd min), before he scored eight points in 80 seconds after Trier levelled again at 65:65 (37th min). But even the 73:65 led two minutes before the game was over didn’t mean a secure end. Another two very sudden threes by Passiwan polished the score of quite a bit, before Boehme finished the day off with his points leading to the final 77:71. “In the end I have to be happy with my team’s performance. If we manage to get rid of one or the other mistake that we make, we can all look forward to the game next weekend. “ said Zeltinger after the game.
Lahn-Dill: Michael Paye (20), Thomas Böhme (19), Steve Serio (19/1 Dreier), Joe Bestwick (12), Dirk Köhler (7), Felix Schell, Annabel Breuer, Jan Haller, Christopher Huber, Björn Lohmann, Nico Dreimüller (n.e.), Marco Zwerger (n.e.).
Trier: Dirk Passiwan (36/7), Diana Dadzite (17), Edgaras Ciaplinskas (8), Mattijs Bellers (4), Tracey Ferguson (4), Tommie Gray (2), Frank de Jong, Martin Koltes, Florian Ewertz (n.e.), Alieu Faal (n.e.), Valeska Finger (n.e.).