53:66-defeat against Italian Champions Cantu
RSV Lahn-Dill have lost the semifinal of the IWBF Champions Cup on Friday night against MIA Briantea ’84 Cantu 53:66 (12:18/25:30/35:48), missing the final for the third time in a row. This means the team will be playing German league opposition RSB Thuringia Bulls in Saturday night, who lost 62:94 against title defendants CD Ilunion Madrid.
The game started off tight, the 0:2 score was followed by a three-point-play by Luszynski, but Köhler had already gotten his second foul at 7:7 in the fourth minute. From then on the Middle Hesse team fell back, unable to catch up the deficit for the entire game.
For six minutes RSV were unable to make a shot, only Böhme was able to keep his team in the game with three free-throws. The 10:15 score was countered by Brian Bell, and the first quarter ended at 12:18. The Wetzlar team continued fighting, but was lacking the offence necessary to get the Italians into trouble.
Only in the last quarter RSV seemed to be getting into some kind of flow. Five minutes before the end of the game the team had gotten closer again at 47:53 (25th min), but these efforts came too late to turn the game around. “Of course, we are disappointed, but I can’t blame anyone. We just didn’t get into the game, and that can’t happen when you are fighting for a spot in the European final.” said Zeltinger after the game.
Cantu: Brian Bell (16/1), Adolfo Berdun (18/1 Dreier), Ian Sagar (13), Jordi Ruiz (9), Ahmed Raourahi (6), Francesco Santorelli (4), Laura Morato, Filippo Carossino, Davide Schiera, Giulio Papi (n.e.).
Lahn-Dill: Piotr Luszynski (16), Thomas Böhme (13/1), Dirk Köhler (8), Michael Paye (6/1), Joe Bestwick (5), Jan Haller (3), Nico Dreimüller (2), Annabel Breuer, Philipp Häfeli, Björn Lohmann, Christopher Huber (n.e.).