82:58 success in HamburgTitle-defendants RSV Lahn-Dill jumped the away-hurdle in the north of Germany with a 82:58 (17:19/37:35/57:47) win against BG Baskets Hamburg. After the last few, not too convincing, games, the Middle Hesse team stays close second to head of the table Thuringia Bulls. Most successful players were US-National Player Steve Serio and German colleague Thomas Boehme, who scored 53 points together. “We can be happy with our performance today. Hamburg didn’t play bad at all, but it seems we have learnt from our mistakes, we’re focused and determined now, and especially after changeover we took their game apart.” said Zeltinger after the game, adding “Of course Tommy’s and Steve’s points helped us a great deal, but the overall performance of the team is what did the trick.”As Zeltinger had said, the deciding phase of the game started after half-time, until then the game had been pretty level. The team returned from the break focused and kept their hit-ratio high, whilst Hamburg wasn’t able to keep their game up and got 18 fouls overall. Former RSV-player Gesche Schuenemann got her 2nd, 3rd and 4th foul within only a few moments. The twelvefold champions took advantage of the chaos on court and were able to up the score to 48:41 (25th min), and then 53:41 (28th min). Despite Hamburg showing off their talent in the last quarter, the gap was only shortened once briefly when Japanese National-Player Reo Fujimoto scored a three that lead to 61:52 (34th min), the last time the point-difference was below 10 points. But the Wetzlar team stayed calm and didn’t lose their cool. Two free-throws by Boehme started a 6:0-run for RSV that lead to 67:52 (35th min). The Hamburg opposition was broken, proven by 15 points for RSV within the last 5 minutes. In the end Serio had scored 28 points, and Thomas Boehme 25, whilst Fujimoto and Haefeli stayed under their average. Top scorer for the hosting team was Dutchman Mustafa Korkmaz with 12 points. Before Christmas there are two games still to come for RSV. This Sunday they will be hosting for USC Muenchen in the DRS-Cup quarterfinal, one week later the second leg of the league starts with a home game against Mainhatten Skywheelers.
Hamburg: Mustafa Korkmaz (12), (10/2), Philipp Häfeli (11), Hiroaki Kozai (11/1), Reo Fujimoto Mitsugi Chiwaki (6), Gesche Schünemann (6), Annika Zeyen (2), Bestami Boz, Karlis Gabranovs, Jan-Niklas Neuroth (n.e.).
Lahn-Dill: Steve Serio (28/1), Thomas Böhme (25), Michael Paye (17/1), Joe Bestwick (7), Dirk Köhler (5), Annabel Breuer, Björn Lohmann, Felix Schell, Jan Haller (n.e.), Marco Zwerger (n.e.).