What a drama in the Sparkassen-Arena: The BG Göttingen landed their third consecutive victory in front of 2123 spectators in the basketball league, but it was very difficult against a poorly staffed Medi Bayreuth, who only came with six players. Once again, BG top shooter Kamar Baldwin had to secure the 92:91 (81:81, 49:43) victory – in the last second of overtime.
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“Is that still fair”: This question is the most hotly debated before the start with regard to the lack of personnel in the Franks in the S-Arena: After Kay Bruhnke also tested positive, Bayreuth has only six players ready for action, i.e. a manageable size rotation, arrived. Marcus Thornton, unable to return after breaking his finger, is only on the bench to support his team-mates. The rule says: An application for a game transfer can only be made to the BBL if at least five corona cases are known – at Medi there are four, only injured or otherwise ill players are added.
BG Göttingen – Medi Bayreuth, BBL 2021/22
BG Göttingen – Medi Bayreuth, BBL 2021/22
© Swen Gatekeeper
Bayreuth’s head coach Raoul Korner applauds the loyal Medi fans who have traveled with him several times, but then has to watch as his team is torn apart in the first few minutes. It seems the game is going as feared, with points from Jeff Roberson and above all Kamar Baldwin leading the Violets to 11-0 – and just two and a half minutes have been played.
Hartwich plays out its economies of scale
As a result, center Philipp Hartwich played out his size advantages by dunk and block against the Franconians who had traveled without Big Man. BG center Harper Kamp is missing again, but Göttingen still has two big ones in its ranks – although the relatively inexperienced newcomer Nate Grimes quickly has to put three fouls on the bench. At the latest when Harald Frey scored to make it 23:5, you feel sorry for the guests (5th).
But then something happens that Moors believes shouldn’t happen: The BG seems to take the opponent too lightly and Bayreuth, much to the annoyance of the BG trainer, comes close to 16:23 with an 11-0 run (8th). Before the quarter break, Mathis Mönninghoff, who was honored before the game for his 175th BBL appearance for the BG last weekend, provided a three-pointer for a conciliatory 31:17 conclusion.
The fall is even bigger in the second quarter: the lead of the violets is 42:20 (15th), when Bayreuth starts a 18:5 run. Shortly before half-time it was Bastian Doreth who fueled the hopes of the guests with a fast break to 43:49 from Bayreuth’s point of view.
What nobody thought possible finally happened in the 23rd minute: the upright Bayreuth six came from the line to the 53:53 equalizer, to the delight of the dozen or so Franken fans who had traveled with them. The result: shock in the hall.
But the BG, for which it is certainly not easy to play with such a high pressure to succeed, would not be the BG this season if they did not have the right answer ready: Roberson immediately made it 55:53 (24th), and after one 8:0 run, the host leads a short time later with 61:53 (25th).
The Bayreuthers push themselves after every point
However, Bayreuth has now tasted blood and in the role of the supposedly hopeless underdog pushes himself at every point – like Kevin Wolhrath, for example, who reduced the deficit to 59:61 with a three pointer (27th). Then the disappointed BG fans have to watch how Sacar Anim provides the first lead for the Franconians at 63:61 from the guest’s point of view (29th). The Bayreuth fans can’t believe their luck. After a three-pointer from Frey and a free-throw point from Grimes, the game goes into the quarter-break with a 67:63 lead.
In the final round, Medi fights passionately, and every point is at stake: When Grimes misplaces without concentrating, assist provider Akeem Vargas almost falls over with disappointment (33rd). At 73:72, Bayreuth regained the lead (35th). It gets dramatic: Mönninghoff first manages a worth seeing steal, then he misses the three. How great the tension is manifests itself in the liberating cheering of the BG fans after Jake Toolson’s three to make it 75:73 (36th).
Center Hartwich misses free throws and causes a collective groan, Janari Joesaar puts Bayreuth ahead with 76:75 (38th). With the score at 77:76 for the BG, Hartwich goes to the line again, all eyes are on him – two hits! “Yeah,” cheered the BG fans. The man has nerves. Baldwin too, and it’s 81:77 (39th). Time out in Bayreuth.
The match day booklet for the home game against Medi Bayreuth can be found here
Cameron Well hits to 79:81, followed by a failed medi lay-up, and there is pure tension in the S-Arena. Anim’s Trial – Blocked with 1.5 seconds remaining. Throw in Bayreuth, again on Anim, and from the corner with a buzzer beater! win medi? Cheers from Bayreuth, but the referees quickly indicate and check the decision via video review: It’s only a two, 81:81, overtime!
In overtime it goes back and forth
Then overtime. It goes back and forth. With 1:09 minutes to go, Toolson sinks his three to make it 88:86, after Moors has signaled the time-out. Roberson manages an important block, but a short time later Wells scores 91:90 for Bayreuth. 0.6 seconds before the end, Baldwin pulls the trigger for two – hits and 92:91! Wells shrugs, the team fought in vain. The spectators scream their luck, BG boss Frank Meinertshagen localizes the first gray hairs in his plaster, here and there you can see a shake of the head. The BG wins their third game in a row, the Bayreuthers win a lot of sympathy with their courageous performance.
“We won the game, but we had too many players who weren’t ready to play,” Moors said after the game. “I’m not very dissatisfied with everyone, but with many players. We can do something special this season, and such games could limit our chances very much.” For the BG head coach, the mixed performance of his team and the poor three-point quota of 21 percent have psychological reasons: “It was just mental,” he says. Medi head coach Korner feels sorry for his splendidly fighting team: “We were missing one, maximum two centimetres. I’m sorry for my fellows.” – Best BG Launchers: Baldwin (30), Roberson (15), Frey (11), Toolson, Hartwich (je 10).
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