This was a game that the OPEL SKYLINERS could have won, but they were a bit unlucky at the end and Quakenbrück stopped Frankfurt twice in the closing two minutes that sealed the victory. "We had problems with Frankfurt all season long, but tonight we played hard from the start, kept our composure and were able to seal the victory", commented American Darius Hall.
The Artland Dragons dominated the first half, leading 28 to 15 after one quarter and going into the locker room at halftime leading 50 to 36. "The main reason for this domination was the energetic defense by the Artland Dragons and great ball movement and timely rebounds and stops", expressed Quakenbrück´s coach Chris Flemming. Quakenbrück also had too many second and third chances to score and the inside game of Ben Ebong and Darius Hall was dominant. Furthermore, the shooting of the OPEL SKYLINERS was miserable, shooting only 44% from the field, too many turnovers and Marco Bulic was on fire, hitting just about everything . He finished the game as high scorer with 22 points.
The OPEL SKYLINERS returned from halftime rejuvenated as they made an attempt to get back into the game. They went on a 12-0 run, taking the lead 59 to 56 on a three-pointer by Jukka Matinen. The Artland Dragons´ coach Chris Flemming had an explanation for the sudden turnaround of Frankfurt. "Frankfurt came out of halftime with more energy and started to get points. We did not play team defense and there were too many players trying to make the individual play instead of focusing on team work." The Artland Dragons had a narrow lead after three quarters 65 to 64.
The fourth quarter was very tense, as both teams were expecting a close finish. The Artland Dragons outscored Frankfurt eight to four, which is a low statistic not seen often, but most likely a result of the playoff atmosphere. This was the lowest point figure in a quarter for Frankfurt this season In the closing minutes, Frankfurt was down by three points, but was denied on two offensive possesions by Quakenbrück. Headcoach Murat Didin saw some postive things, but said it came down to the last minutes. "We started slowly and gave them easy baskets. But with our experienced players we could come back. Bernd Kruel had a good game, but we were unlucky in the last three minutes, but I´m confident we can win game three at home."
Besides the hot hand of Marko Bulic, the Artland Dragons could rely on three other players who scored in double figures. American Darius Hall scored 17 points, had seven rebounds and was 7/8 from the free throw line. Jan Hendrik Jagla had a spirted performance, scoring 13 points and grabbing eight rebounds. "Jagla played well, gave us the necessary energy and defended Chris Williams well", noted Artland´s coach Chris Flemming. American Ben Ebong rounded out the scoring with 10 points and hauling down 12 rebounds.
The OPEL SKYLINERS were led by center Bernd Kruel, who finally had his breakout game that everyone has been waiting for, scoring 16 points and getting ten rebounds. Even though Frankfurt was outrebounded by the Artland Dragons 41 to 32, the performance of Kruel gives hope for the future that the center duo of Kruel and Badiane will continue to give good performances. Malick Badiane did not play as much, on account of the good effort by Kruel, but Badiane is playing well anyway. American Chris Willaims had an allaround good game. His point total was down with 12, but he amassed seven rebounds and a playoff best of seven assists. Kavossy Franklin rounded out the scoring with 10 points. Franklin surprisingly got the nod over American Tyrone Ellis to play.
The OPEL SKYLINERS will need to give a top performance on Sunday in game three, so they can return to Quakenbrück with a two to one lead in the series. The Artland Dragons will give everything they have to upset Frankfurt in their building. "We had lost three in a row to Frankfurt. This victory was so important, because it gives us the confidence, going into game three, that we can beat them", added Quakenbrück´s headcoach Chris Flemming. However captain Pascal Roller is confident with the chances at home. "We want to return to Quakenbrück and close out the series. I beleive in our home court strength, since it often helped us to victories this season."
It will be interesting to see who Didin will go with, Ellis or Franklin. Ellis is the crowd favorite, but Franklin has had very consistent games and is good for 10 to 15 points a game. Coach Flemming knows how his team can win in game three. "We have to be more clever with the ball in the deciding moments." This is actually something that Frankfurt could also think about in the next game. This series is a real battle and the winner will be the team that is more clever at the most important moments.
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber reporting for the OPEL SKYLINERS
