Eisbären Secure 85-83 Overtime Victory Against RheinStars Köln
The Eisbären secured an 85-83 overtime victory against the RheinStars Köln at the Kölner Motorworld, marking their first away win of the season despite surrendering a 17-point lead during regulation play.
Dominic Parolin led the visitors with a dominant double-double, recording 20 points and 13 Rebounds. The Canadian center anchored the Eisbären frontcourt alongside teammates Jeremiah Oden, who contributed 15 points including two three-pointers, and Tyreese Blunt, who added 14 points with four conversions from beyond the arc. Vincent Friederici also chipped in 14 points for the winners.
Defensive Dominance and First-Half Control
The visitors established early momentum through aggressive perimeter defense that restricted the RheinStars to a 24 percent field goal percentage in the opening ten minutes. Operating efficiently from inside the arc where they converted 71 percent of their two-point attempts, the Eisbären built a 19-12 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
Collapsing Lead and Fourth-Quarter Comeback
Köln completed the comeback in the fourth quarter, overtaking the visitors 65-63 with four minutes remaining in regulation. Parolin rescued the Eisbären by scoring eight points in the final frame, including crucial plays that leveled the score at 76-76 and forced the extra session.
Overtime Resolution in Cologne
Both teams traded perimeter attempts in overtime after struggling with long-range shooting earlier in the match. The Eisbären fell behind 81-76 after four minutes of the extra period before Carlos Carter secured the outcome with a critical three-pointer and two successful free throws.
It was much closer than it should have been,” team captain Garai Zeeb told Sporteurope.tv following the match. Coach Naciri added: “We didn’t play our best game today. In the third quarter, unfortunately, we didn’t use the chance to decide the game.”
Match Statistics and Score Breakdown
Eisbären scoring leaders included Dominic Parolin with 20 points and 13 rebounds, Jeremiah Oden with 15 points, Tyreese Blunt with 14 points, Vincent Friederici with 14 points, and Carlos Carter with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Garai Zeeb and Corey McKeithan each contributed 6 points.
For the RheinStars Köln, Cedric Russell led the scoring with 17 points, Jasper Günther added 16 points along with 6 assists, and Björn Rohwer finished with 11 points. The quarter-by-quarter progression recorded scores of 12-19, 21-27, 19-15, 24-15, and an overtime period of 7-9. Officials Edris Naim, Danjana Rey, and Michael Oesterle officiated the fixture.
