The young Lions Wuppertal, the U16 squad of Südwest Baskets, once again earned admiration for their impressive basketball performance, yet they left their latest first-round match in the Basketball Bundesliga empty-handed. Despite a strong showing in their 72:84 loss to the favored Bonn/Rhöndorf team on Sunday, coach Robin singh lamented that his players couldn’t capitalize on their hard work. “We’ve proven we can challenge any opponent, but we fell short of rewarding ourselves for the effort,” Singh remarked. The first half was a showcase of the Wuppertalers’ potential, with seamless ball movement and a 41:32 led at halftime.However, the second half revealed cracks in their strategy. “We lost our tactical discipline and relied too much on individual plays,” Singh explained. Bonn capitalized on 11 turnovers, a stark contrast to the 5 in the first half. A critical moment came late in the game when Wuppertal closed the gap to just four points, only to lose possession after a player collided with three defenders, allowing Bonn to pull ahead. The free throw statistics further highlighted the missed opportunities, with Bonn converting 14 of 17 attempts compared to Wuppertal’s 14 of 25. Despite the setback,Singh remains optimistic about his team’s progress. They aim to showcase their growth in their upcoming match against the Nuremberg Falcons at the Blutfinke next Sunday, marking the start of the second half of the season. gh
