By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
The German League Final Tournament continued on the second day with the action in Group B as Alba Berlin got an 81-72 win over Fraport Skyliners.
While the Skyliners got off to a better start (23-16), Alba answered but couldn’t turn the game around until the final period. With seven minutes left, they banked four shots from deep to make a 19-3 run and go ahead 68-58, which was enough to propel them to victory.
Peyton Siva led the winning effort with 16 points while Landry Nnoko added 13. Luke Sikma was close to a double-double with nine points and ten boards.
For the Skyliners, Gytis Masiulis scored 14 in addition to Yorman Polas Bartolo’s 12 and Lamont Jones’ ten points.
Rokas Giedraitis wasn’t playing for Alba as he had to take a 19-hour ferry trip to Kiel in northern Germany and then drive for four hours in order to reach Berlin. On the other hand, Alba got Stefan Peno back. The Serbian guard returned after a 16-month hiatus and was the first one to score points for his squad.
In the second match of the day, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg seemed to have somewhat of an easier time against a 10-man RASTA Vechta squad in the 81-76 win.
A 10-0 run over six minutes gave Ludwigsburg a 34-21 and 46-32 lead in the first half. They stayed on that path (62-49) and despite a bit of a scare from Vechta’s Luc Van Slooten (18 years old) who nailed two threes and a dunk – his first points this season – Ludwigsburg stayed on top until the end.
Thomas Wimbush banked 24 points for the victors while Marcos Knight helped with 13 and Cameron Jackson with 11 points.
For Vechta, Jaroslaw Zyskowski Trevis Simpson contributed with 18 points each while Ishmail Wainright added ten.
BBL Group B Day 1:
Fraport Skyliners – Alba Berlin 72-81 (Masiulis 14 – Siva 16)
RASTA Vechta – MHP RISEN Ludwigsburg 76-81 (Simpson 18 – Wimbush 24)
BG Gottingen – Crailsheim Merlins 89-78 (Hundt 30pts – J. Hawkins 17pts)
FC Bayern Munich – ratiopharm Ulm 85-95 (Harvey 21pts – Lucic 23pts)