The Fitness First Würzburg Baskets remain the first pursuer of easyCredit BBL leaders FC Bayern Munich: In the third game within just five days, head coach Sasa Filipovski’s team won 104:100 at RASTA Vechta after extra time on Sunday. In the last second of an exciting game with many runs – including a Würzburg 15-0 run in the third quarter – Vechta’s Alonzo Verge Jr. was able to force the score to 90:90 with a jump shot and thus force five extra minutes.
In overtime, the Baskets hit their first four shots and took the lead with two minutes left, which Brae Ivey then successfully defended with four goals from the free throw line. Ivey was also the best scorer on the Würzburg side with a new season best of 25 points. Davion Mintz (18), Eddy Edigin Jr. (14), Jonathan Stove (13) and Charles Thompson also scored double figures for the Baskets, who once again delivered a very strong game at both ends of the field live at Dyn Top values in five statistical categories (13 points / 10 rebounds / 5 assists / 3 steals / 5 blocks).
After a strenuous week, the next important game awaits the Baskets in three days: The decisive third game of the Basketball Champions League play-in series against Patrioti Levice will take place next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the tectake ARENA. Tickets for the do-or-die game against the Slovakian champions are available in the online shop.
Marcus Carr, who led the Baskets to a 74:56 away win in Bratislava on Thursday with 20 points and 6 assists, was not in the squad in the RASTA Dome, which was sold out with 3,140 spectators, in order to rest his injured left calf before the decisive home game on Wednesday. He was replaced by Ryan Schwieger, who played 35 BBL games for RASTA Vechta in the last two seasons, while Brae Ivey started in the playmaker position.
In the early stages, however, Eddy Edigin Jr. was at the center of the action: The Baskets captain was well played on several occasions, also grabbed an offensive rebound and scored eight of Würzburg’s first twelve points. Because Brae Ivey hit two three-pointers in a row later in the first quarter, the game was largely an even affair in this phase. It stayed that way until the 14th minute – Brae Ivey made the score 26:26 with a layup.
Then the hosts were able to pull away a little more clearly for the first time with a 9-0 run. “We showed character in this situation,” said Sasa Filipovski afterwards. He took a timeout in the 16th minute and by the break his team was back within striking distance with the score at 45:41.
In the third quarter, the Baskets initially got their opponent under better control in defense. First Johnathan Stove shortened the score to 47:46 with a three-pointer, shortly afterwards the guests managed a 15-0 run within around four minutes because they were unstoppable on the way to the basket in this phase.
With six successful layups and three free throws, they brought the score to 49:61, but the joy of the Baskets fans who had traveled with them about the double-digit lead didn’t last long. Vechta responded with a 12:4 run, and the score was 61:67 heading into the fourth quarter a short time later.
In the fourth quarter, the Baskets were able to extend their lead to nine points again thanks to a three-pointer from Lukas Herzog (61:70), and just four minutes before the end they were still ahead by six points after two equally important and successful three-pointers from Davion Mintz (76:82, 37th minute).
However, two Würzburg turnovers and two three-pointers from Tommy Kuhse ensured the 86:86 equalizer and an extremely exciting last 99 seconds of regular playing time. The guests were able to take the lead twice more through Johnathan Stove, but Alonzo Verge Jr. immediately equalized both times – the BBL top scorer’s half-distance throw to make it 90:90 forced extra time with 0.6 seconds on the clock.
In the five extra minutes, the Würzburg quintet Brae Ivey, Davion Mintz, Johnathan Stove, David Muenkat and Charles Thompson found the necessary grain of energy to take advantage of their chances up front and get the necessary stops in defense. Threes from Ivey and Mintz as well as two layups from Thompson resulted in the eleventh and final lead change of the game (98:100, 43rd minute).
In the last two minutes of the game, the hosts managed a layup, but they also had to send Brae Ivey to the free throw line twice. The Californian didn’t show any nakedness. scored all four attempts, making it the Baskets’ sixth win in the last seven BBL games.
RASTA Vechta – Fitness First Würzburg Baskets 100:104 nV
(20:19, 25:22, 16:26, 29:23, 10:14)
Played for Würzburg:
Brae Ivey 25 points/3 three-pointers (6 assists), Davion Mintz 18/3 (3 steals), Eddy Edigin Jr. 14, Charles Thompson 13 (10 rebounds/5 assists/5 blocks/3 steals), Johnathan Stove 13/1, Christian Skladanowski 6, Lukas Herzog 5/1, Ryan Schwieger 5/1, Alen Pjanic.
Top performer Vechta:
Alonzo Verge Jr. 27/1 (11 Assists/3 Steals), TJ Bamba 22/2, Tommy Kuhse 16/3 (5 Assists), Tevin Brown 14/4 (3 Steals).
Key Stats:
Fastbreak-Punkte: Würzburg 11 – Vechta 0
Three-point quota 2nd half: Würzburg 60 percent – Vechta 43 percent
Free throw rate: Würzburg 82 percent – Vechta 71 percent
Voices about the game
Sasa Filipovski, Head Coach Fitness First Würzburg Baskets:
“In the first half, we missed a few layups against contact. Aside from that, the first half was pretty good. After the nine-point deficit, we just showed character. I think we could have won the game in regulation time. But then we made a few mistakes in rebounding and in our baseline defense. Ultimately, we deserved this win. Vechta has a very talented team, they play very well. With these experienced players in the team, they are a great match for me Playoff team. I’m very happy for my team, who wanted to win this game for the club. He made it possible for us to travel to Vechta after the game in Slovakia, so that we had a little more time to regenerate. I’m very happy about the victory and for our fans who traveled with us, there’s always a great atmosphere here in Vechta. It’s always fun to play here.
Christian Held, head coach RASTA Vechta:
“First of all, congratulations to Würzburg, who put up a fight here in a very strenuous week for them. I think it was a nice game for the spectators because it often went up and down. Ultimately, it was the Würzburg run in the third quarter that killed us. We simply made too many individual mistakes in this phase. Those were small things, but a top team like Würzburg takes advantage of that. In moments like that, it takes too long for us to get back “That’s what cost us this game. We managed to get into overtime, but in the end we weren’t able to get the stops we needed to win such a close game.”
