Successful against the former club: Marco Völler (left) works on Hanau’s top scorer Dewrell Tisdale Jr., whose 25 points were not enough to count.
© Scheiber
The basketball players of the Hanau White Wings failed to return after the compulsory Corona break. Head coach Kamil Piechucki’s team lost 77-82 to the Frankfurt Skyliners Juniors in the Hessen derby and, being ninth in the table and four points behind eighth place, has to worry more than ever about participating in the play-offs in the 3rd ProB basketball league.
Frankfurt – “We’ll have to win three of the last five games to be included in the raffle,” Hanau’s managing director Sebastian Lübeck suspected before the guest appearance in Frankfurt. In game one after the corona-related break, there was definitely more in it for the Hanau team. Frankfurt, whose ranks included former professional Marco Völler (12 points) alongside Calvin Schaum from Bruchköbel, Jordan Samare (11) and especially Matthew Meredith (27), who are part of the Bundesliga squad, got off to a better start.
But then the White Wings kept the game open and were just behind after the first quarter with 26:27. The second quarter was completely different, in which the hosts hardly allowed the Brothers Grimm-Städter to count. In addition, mistakes and an expandable throw rate accumulated. The White Wings only got nine points in this round. At half time they left the field 35:47 behind. But then Matthias Fichtner and Dion Mohammed Braimoh turned up the heat, brought their team back up with two threes each and an improved throw rate. Shortly before the end of the third quarter it was 52:52. However, the juniors kept freeing themselves from the clutches of Hanau and once again took a narrow lead.
Little changed in that regard in the final section, which in the end became more and more confused and hectic. The White Wings tried their luck with quick deals, but this rarely succeeded. In addition, they allowed themselves a few slight turnovers and continued to miss too many shots, especially beyond the three-point line, almost nothing was possible. And because Frankfurt always had an answer ready in Matthew Meredith, who ended up with 27 points, the long-awaited success with the Hessian rival did not materialize. Two breaks didn’t change that. In the end, Frankfurt rocked the success safely across the stage.
The Hanau residents started the short journey home with hanging heads. The disappointment of the narrow defeat made it difficult for everyone. “I’m empty, so no comment from me,” said Lübeck. The many unnecessary mistakes had also affected him and of course the now greatly clouded prospects of reaching the play-offs. jm
Hanau White Wings: Tisdale jr (25), Braimoh (16), Hecker (7), Krause (2), Stenger, Vasovic (5), Walz (8), Demetrio (2), Eibelshäuser, Loh (3), Fichtner (9)
