ratiopharm ulm opened their international campaign in the BKT EuroCup with a 98-84 victory over Balkan Botevgrad at a packed arena on the Tag der Pflege. Head coach Ty Harrelson’s side established control early in the Group D fixture, backed by thousands of regional care workers who filled the stands to create a distinct atmosphere for the home side’s opening night.
Controlling the First Quarter
The hosts set the tone from the opening tip, erasing concerns about recent domestic form following a prior loss to Würzburg. Guard Jaylen Sims had called for a focused start during preparations, and his teammates delivered by jumping to a 31-17 lead after the first ten minutes. During that early scoring burst, Ibi Watson shouldered the offensive load with 10 of his game-high points arriving in the opening phase. The Bulgarian visitors struggled to find defensive answers as Ulm maintained an aggressive pace in transition and capitalized efficiently from beyond the arc.
Offensive Efficiency and Depth
Ulm’s tactical shift centered on minimizing mistakes and pushing the tempo. The home side committed just two turnovers in the first half while executing a much cleaner shooting night on three-pointers compared to recent outings. Watson finished the contest with 19 points, adding three rebounds and four assists to claim informal honors as the team’s standout performer. Center Simi Shittu contributed 17 points on a flawless shooting night from the field, while Sims and Mike Rataj each chipped in 15 points to round out a balanced double-figure scoring attack.
Head Coach Assessment
Speaking after the final buzzer, Harrelson expressed satisfaction with the result while noting areas that require continued attention as the European schedule intensifies. “Thanks to all the care workers for this great atmosphere at a EuroCup game,” Harrelson said in the post-match remarks. “In today’s game we unfortunately turned the ball over too often towards the end. Overall we did many things well, but of course we still have to keep working on ourselves – we are not yet where we want to be. I am very proud of my team that we were able to secure this important home win in the EuroCup today.”
Standings and Schedule Implications
The win grants Ulm two crucial points in the standings of Group D, one of the EuroCup’s more demanding brackets. By utilizing deep rotations, Harrelson managed to distribute minutes effectively across the roster to guard against fatigue during a dense stretch of fixtures. The side now turns its focus to domestic cup action, with a BBL-Pokal round of 16 matchup scheduled against Phoenix Hagen on October 17 at 20:00 local time.
