Bayreuth Battles to Victory Over Karlsruhe Despite Injury Woes

KARLSRUHE, Germany – The BBC Bayreuth secured an important 78-72 victory over the PS Karlsruhe Lions on Friday, March 15, 2026, in a game that highlighted their resilience in the face of significant roster challenges. The win, a hard-fought contest in Germany’s Pro A league, marked Bayreuth’s eleventh of the season and provided a crucial boost as they navigate a difficult stretch of the campaign.

Bayreuth entered the game shorthanded, missing key players Moritz Plescher and Noah Wabersich due to long-term injuries. Adding to their woes, Nat Diallo was sidelined with illness, and Lenny Liedtke was unavailable after suffering a ligament injury in a previous game against Wolmirstedt. Despite these absences, Bayreuth demonstrated a determined performance, overcoming a physical Karlsruhe team.

First Half Showdown

The game began with a quick start from Bayreuth, with KeVaughn Allen scoring the first points within the opening minutes. Tehree Horn quickly followed, extending the lead to 4-0. Karlsruhe responded with a three-pointer from Kilian Binapfl, narrowing the gap. Rayshawn Mart contributed with a dunk, showcasing Bayreuth’s early offensive energy. After six minutes, Karlsruhe took the lead at 11-7.

Bayreuth quickly answered back, with Kyle Sturdivant hitting a three-pointer to tie the game, followed by another three-point play to regain the lead at 13-11. Chris Würmseher extended the advantage to 15-11. Louis Nauthon scored a free throw for Karlsruhe, but Mart responded with another three-point play, pushing Bayreuth ahead 19-11. A dominant 12-0 run by Bayreuth closed out the first quarter, giving them an eight-point lead, despite struggling with free throws, converting only four of eight attempts.

Bayreuth continued to dictate the pace in the second quarter, with Allen extending their run from the free-throw line to 21-11. Isaiah Hart finally broke Bayreuth’s momentum with two points, bringing the score to 13-21. Karlsruhe narrowed the gap to 17-21, prompting a timeout from Bayreuth head coach Lukas Hofer. Rahming halted a 6-0 run by the hosts with a score of 23-17. Sturdivant then added to Bayreuth’s lead with consecutive scores, bringing the score to 25-21 and then 27-22. Rahming pushed the lead to 29-24. By this point, Binapfl had already scored 14 points for Karlsruhe, while Sturdivant had 11 and 12 points for Bayreuth. Ikejiaku extended the lead to 33-24. Karlsruhe then mounted a comeback, reducing the deficit to 28-33, before Willem Brandwijk responded with a score of 35-28. Karlsruhe continued to close the gap to 33-35. Horn then scored, increasing the lead to 37-33, and followed with a three-pointer to extend the lead to 40-33 at halftime.

Second Half Resilience

Bayreuth started the third quarter strong, with Mart increasing the lead to 41-33 from the free-throw line, followed by Sturdivant making it 43-33. Horn added another three-pointer, extending the lead to 46-33. Bayreuth went on an 11-0 run, creating several second-chance opportunities. Karlsruhe responded with a score of 35-46, but Mart quickly answered with 49-35. Isaiah Hart then made Karlsruhe’s first three-pointer of the game, bringing the score to 38-49. Rahming extended the lead to 52-40. Ikejiaku accumulated four fouls during this period, leading to foul trouble for Bayreuth’s German players. After 27 minutes, Bayreuth led 52-44. Sturdivant increased the lead to 54-46, and Brandwijk made a three-pointer, extending the lead to double digits at 57-46. Nauthon scored in a prompt break, making it 59-50. Zeisberger scored his first points in the ProA, bringing the score to 61-50 at the end of the third quarter.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Sturdivant extended the lead to 62-50 from the free-throw line, and Brandwijk followed with a slam dunk, making it 64-50. Sturdivant then increased the lead to 66-50. Hart responded with two three-pointers, bringing the score to 56-66 and stopping Bayreuth’s run. Hofer immediately called a timeout. After 34 minutes, Bayreuth led 66-58. Horn increased the lead to 68-58, and Rahming secured a rebound, making it 70-60. Karlsruhe narrowed the gap to 64-70 with three minutes remaining. Sturdivant responded with 72-64 and 74-66. Pluskota made a three-pointer, bringing the score to 69-74. With 85 seconds left, Hofer called another timeout. Brandwijk increased the lead to 76-69 with a tip-in 35 seconds before the end. Karlsruhe struggled to contain Bayreuth’s offensive rebounding strength. A technical foul against Brandwijk resulted in a score of 70-76. Brandwijk was then fouled after a missed Karlsruhe attempt and scored, making it 78-70 with 28.6 seconds remaining. Bayreuth ultimately won 78-72, securing their eleventh win of the season.

Sturdivant Leads the Way

Kyle Sturdivant was Bayreuth’s standout performer, scoring 25 points and dishing out four assists. Willem Brandwijk followed with 11 points, while Tehree Horn and Rayshawn Mart each contributed 10 points. Cantia Rahming scored nine points, and KeVaughn Allen added four. Louis Nauthon scored three points, while Leroy Ikejiaku, Jonathan Zeisberger, and Chris Würmseher each scored two. Cantia Rahming was the leading rebounder for Bayreuth, with 16 rebounds. Kyle Sturdivant, Tehree Horn, and Willem Brandwijk each grabbed six rebounds.

For PS Karlsruhe Lions, Kilian Binapfl led the scoring with 23 points, followed by Isaiah Hart with 19 points. Wesley Oba, Maurice Pluskota, and David Ejah each had seven rebounds.

Coach Lukas Hofer on the win:

“We had difficulties given the missing German players in the rotation, sometimes playing without a natural power forward and trying to simply get the ball into the hands of our best players. We’ve lost a few beautiful games this season, and today it’s fun to win a game that wasn’t so beautiful. We were mentally fully there and have fully implemented the mentality that wounded dogs are the most dangerous. Accordingly, we wanted to go full throttle from the start. The eleventh win of the season is important to secure ourselves from below. This was a very important step towards staying in the league. All games after securing ProA membership are a bonus, we will definitely continue to fight like lions.”

Bayreuth currently holds the 13th position in the standings, tied with the teams in 11th and 12th place.

Highlights and replays of the game are available on sporteurope.TV.

Next up for BBC Bayreuth: details to be announced. Stay tuned to Archysport for further updates.