By Jürgen Berger
Heidelberg. This sporty exclamation point felt good. After the 95:75 (47:38) home win over Braunschweig, there were happy faces everywhere at the MLP Academics. DJ Horne, who like Paul Zipser returned to the squad after an injury break of several weeks, seemed particularly relieved after the second Bundesliga win in the ninth game.
“It means everything to me to be there again. Being a spectator is no fun at all,” said Horne, who scored eleven points in 17 minutes and hit some important shots. With the two leading players, Zipser played for almost twelve minutes, the boys from Neckar presented themselves as a unit in front of 4,398 spectators on Sunday afternoon, which clearly showed the Basketball Lions’ limits in the end.
“It was a super important win for us and a step in the right direction. We didn’t play perfectly, but we played better. We have to build on that,” explained winger Mateo Seric and added: “It was very important that Paul and DJ were there again. DJ brings more calm to the field. It’s a good feeling to be complete again.”
Head coach Danny Jansson’s protégés are still in 16th place in the table, but their confidence is back thanks to their sense of success over Lower Saxony, who have one more win than the Academics. “Now is our time to climb up the table,” said Horne, who played with a bandaged thumb after his capsule injury, confidently.
This is the right approach ahead of the following trend-setting league games in Bamberg and against Hamburg (SNP Dome), Frankfurt and Bonn (SAP Arena). “We have to repeat this performance in the next game,” demanded sports director Alex Vogel. “We have to get consistency in our game. I’m happy about the win, but even more happy if we improve now.”
While the Keller competition from Oldenburg (71:82 in Würzburg) and Hamburg (95:97 in Vechta) lost, the Heidelberg team followed up with action on the floor after many conversations during the international break. It was clear from the start that the boys from Neckar really wanted to untie the knot.
DThe energy was right, but there were a few unnecessary mistakes in the first quarter. Braunschweig took advantage of this primarily with five offensive rebounds. Therefore, after the first ten minutes it was “only” 23:20 for Heidelberg, even though the Lions had already lost five balls. There was a shocking moment for Heidelberg in the twelfth minute.
Top scorer Michael Weathers had to leave the field with his face contorted in pain. The guard held his hand and even briefly left the hall. At this point it was 27:23 for the Academics. But without the Heidelberg crowd favorite, the Lions managed a 6-0 run. And Jansson took a break. Weathers then returned to the bench to applause. The fans breathed a sigh of relief.
After 15 minutes, Zipser returned to action for the first time after breaking his metacarpal. And the veteran stabilized the Academics construct simply through his presence. Shortly afterwards, Horne scored his first points with a three-pointer. Was that the initial spark? With some start-up time, yes. A three-pointer from Michael Weathers brought the lead back to 35:32 (16th).
And then there was a crash. The Academics, led by Michael Weathers and Horne, played the way they want. Strong defense, winning the ball, fast play – and suddenly it was 47:36 shortly before halftime. The SNP Dome shook and Braunschweig looked battered.
In the third quarter, Heidelberg picked up where they left off. After 23 minutes it was 51:38, after 24 minutes it was 59:44 thanks to four points – including a spectacular dunking – from captain Osun Osunniyi. Lions coach Kostas Papazoglou had no choice but to call the timeout. However, it didn’t help. After a layup by Sam Williamson, a three-pointer by Horne and a free throw by Marcel Keßen, the home team was ahead by 21 points a short time later and only allowed their opponent ten points in the third period. That was the basis for the second BBL victory of the season.
We entered the last ten minutes with an 18-point lead. And the Academics never left the fast lane for the rest of the season. “The result was good. I hope that we can build on this performance. There are some things that we still need to do better,” Jansson concluded. Center Marcel Keßen added: “This success is balm for the soul. We have had time to train for the last two weeks and we have seen the progress, which paid off today.”
Heidelberg: Michael Weathers 18 (1), Keßen 16 (2), Seric 14 (2), Horne 11 (2), Williamson 10, Osunniyi 8, Reed 6 (1), Würzner 6, Ersek 3 (1), Marcus Weathers 2, McClain (1), Zipser
Braunschweig: The 19 (1), Zylka 16 (3), Njie 12 (2), Shrist 11 (1), Schröder 6, Schröder 6, Obiesie 5 (1), Hawley 4 (1), Flangan 2, Hartwich 2, Hartwich
Stenogramm: 6:5 (3rd), 17:12 (6th), 23:20 (1st quarter), 27:23 (13th), 27:29 (14th), 35:32 (16th), 47:34 (19th), 47:38 (halftime), 51:38 (23rd), 59:44 (24th), 65:44 (28th), 66:48 (3rd quarter), 72:54 (33rd), 76:62 (36th), 95:75 (final score).
