What an amazing performance by Justin Jaworski as he did his best Superman impression in scoring a league season high 39 points in EWE Baskets Oldenburg’s overtime win over Frankfurt. The week also saw SYNTAINICS MBC set a club record with their sixth straight victory while ALBA BERLIN are still without a win on the road.
Jaworski's 39 points give Oldenburg revenge over Frankfurt, OT win first with Drijencic back
EWE Baskets Oldenburg exacted revenge on SKYLINERS beating them in the German BBL Cup last month by battling to a 102-92 overtime victory to remain undefeated at home this season and grab their first win under new (and old) head coach Mladen Drijencic. The game was back and forth with 10 lead changes and 13 times with Trey Calvin’s three-pointer for Frankfurt with 6.8 seconds left sending the game to overtime. Oldenburg scored the first seven points of the extra session to improve to 4-4 including 4-0 at home. Frankfurt fell to 2-5 with five losses in the last six games. Oldenburg forced 20 turnovers - even though they also committed 19 turnovers. The hosts made 23 of 24 free throws compared to 10 of 15 for Frankfurt. Justin Jaworski was the hero, scoring an easyCredit BBL season high 39 points to go with 11 assists in 43:28 minutes. Artur Konontsuk added 15 points and 8 rebounds. Malik Parsons came off the Frankfurt bench for 24 points.
Wolves grab club record sixth straight win, down bogey team Bamberg
Don’t look now but SYNTAINICS MBC sit in fifth place in the standings after beating bogey team Bamberg Baskets 99-94 at home for their club record sixth straight victory - five of which coming in the league. After losing 23 of the previous 24 showdowns with Bamberg in the last 15 years, the home side came out strong and built a 18-point second quarter lead and they were still up 18 points early in the third quarter when Bamberg reeled off a 28-9 run spanning the final two periods to nose ahead. The Wolves answered with an 8-0 spurt and grabbed the win to improve to 5-3 while Bamberg fell to 2-5. The hosts shot an unreal 63 percent from long range (17/27) while Bamberg managed just 24 percent. Spencer Reaves paced the hosts with 24 points on 6 three-pointers, Tyren Johnson and Mike Devoe both scored 20 points, Ty Brewer had 13 points and Martin Breunig chipped in 11 points. Ronaldo Segu was Bamberg’s top scorer with 26 points while Brandon Horvath, MaCio Teague and KeyShawn Feazell combined for 39 points and 21 rebounds.
Vechta grab third straight win thanks to Gardner’s 25 second half points
RASTA Vechta continued their current hot streak by outlasting ALBA BERLIN 96-93 at home to extend their winning streak to three games. Berlin led by double figures in the first quarter and the advantage was 15 points early in the second quarter. But Vechta led at halftime only to build and lose a nine-point lead. Brandon Randolph scored a big layup with 45 seconds to go to give Vechta a five point lead and Joel Aminu split two free throws with 5 seconds for the final scoreline. Vechta moved to 4-4 and Berlin still have not won or lost back-to-back games in Germany with a 3-5 mark - 0-4 on the road. Vechta committed only 8 turnovers and made 41 percent on three-pointers compared to 24 percent for Berlin. Jayden Gardner came up with a monster double-double of 25 points and 13 rebounds, Tyger Campbell had 22 points and 6 assists and Joschka Ferner knocked down 4 three-pointers in scoring 14 points. Matteo Spagnolo (22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists) and Trevion Williams (11/10/6) both flirted with a triple-double in the loss.
Braunschweig snap five game skid by ending Chemnitz’s five game win streak
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig finally tasted victory again by knocking off NINERS Chemnitz 82-74 at home to snap a five-game losing streak - including their German BBL Cup loss - and with it end Chemnitz’s five-game winning streak. Chemnitz built a 12-point lead midway through the second quarter but found themselves trailing at the half. Braunschweig surged ahead by 12 points in the third period and never were really threatened the rest of the way. Braunschweig improved to 3-4 with Chemnitz falling to 5-3. Chemnitz shot 52 percent for the game including 48 percent on three-pointers and held the guests to just 26 percent from long range. Arnas Velicka came off the bench for a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists while Ferdinand Zylka and Tre Mitchell both scored 16 points and Sananda Fru had 14 points. Aher Uguak was Chemnitz’s top scorer with 17 points.
Edwards, Obst combine for 11 threes, 41 points in Bayern blowout of Bonn
FC Bayern Munich defended their spot atop the standings by blowing out Telekom Baskets Bonn at home 93-73 thanks to some hot outside shooting. Bayern began taking over in the second quarter and did not slow down in the third period in moving to 6-2 with three straight wins and a 4-0 record at home. Bonn had won four of their last five but now are 4-3 in the league. Bayern won the rebound battle 40-28 and shot 54 percent for the game including 48 percent from long range and held Bonn to just 29 percent on three-pointers. Carsen Edwards continued to play fantastic basketball with 24 points and 6 three-pointers in under 20 minutes, Andi Obst hit 5 three-pointers for 17 points and Yam Madar added 10 points and 5 assists. Angelo Allegri scored 14 points to lead Bonn, who also got 13 points and 5 rebounds from both Till Pape and Sam Griesel.
Ulm ease past Göttingen to remain perfect at home
ratiopharm ulm remained perfect at home as they rolled past winless BG Göttingen 109-70 in bouncing back from their road loss to ALBA BERLIN. Ulm led by 12 points after 10 minutes and the score was 60-35 at halftime as Ulm moved to 6-2 with a 5-0 mark in the ratiopharm arena. Göttingen are still looking for their first win at 0-7. Ulm shot 61 percent for the game - 72 percent on two pointers and 50 percent from the outside - and held Göttingen to just 44 percent from the field while also out-rebounding the guests 39-23. Noa Essengue collected 15 points and 8 rebounds to pace five Ulm players in double figures including Marcio Santos, Philipp Herkenhoff and Tobias Jensen all with 13 and Alfonso Plummer with 12 points. Demajeo Wiggins was Göttingen’s top scorer with 23 points to go with 10 rebounds and Collin Welp added 19 points in the loss with Kostja Mushidi sidelined.
Göttingen keep Mushidi until end of the season
BG Göttingen took a step they hope in the right direction to staving off relegation by keeping Kostja Mushidi until the end of the season. The 26-year-old German international originally signed a two-month contract with Göttingen until the end of November, but the club locked him up until May 2025. Göttingen have struggled out of the gates with a 0-7 record thus far - the only team still looking for their first win.
Ivey’s 30 points not enough, Hamburg lose in Heidelberg
MLP Academics Heidelberg remained among the top teams in the league as they wasted a big first quarter lead but fought off Veolia Towers Hamburg 73-68 to keep Hamburg winless on the road. Heidelberg jumped ahead 26-10 after 10 minutes and the lead was still 10 points early in the third quarter. Hamburg came back and finished the period up. Heidelberg finished the game with four free throws in the final 30 seconds to move to 6-3 with their third win in the last four games. Hamburg have lost four straight games for a 2-5 mark including 0-4 away from home. Heidelberg held Hamburg to just 39 percent shooting including 21 percent from long range. Ryan Mikesell led Heidelberg with 15 points, Damariae Horne had 14 points and Mateo Seric chipped in 10 points. Brae Ivey scored 30 points while Jaizec Lottie added 13 points off the bench as the rest of the starters combined for only 9 points.
Hamburg bring back promotion hero Malik Müller
Veolia Towers Hamburg hope to recapture some of their magic from their promotion to the easyCredit BBL as they signed Malik Müller, one of the heroes of that team from 2019. The 30-year-old Müller has not played in the top flight since the following season 2019-20. He left basketball and only returned last season and played in the Oberliga with TG Düsseldorf’s second team.
Jackson, Seljaas combine for 39 in Würzburg win in Ludwigsburg
FIT/One Würzburg Baskets kept pace with the leaders in the league as they registered a strong 91-82 victory at MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg for their third straight win. Ludwigsburg temporarily led by eight points in the second quarter but the guests led most of the rest of the game - never really being threatened in the final frame. Würzburg are now 5-2 while Ludwigsburg fell to 4-4 after two straight losses. Würzburg made up for 20 turnovers by winning the rebound battle 40-22 including 15 offensive rebounds, which they turned into a 26-6 advantage in second chance points while shooting 70 percent on two-pointers. Jhivvan Jackson paced Würzburg with 20 points, Zac Seljaas had 19 points and Mike Lewis and Mike Davis both chipped in 11 points. Deane Williams was Ludwigsburg’s main weapon with 21 points with Ezra Manjon scoring 18 points and Justin Simon adding 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Player of the Week
What a performance by Justin Jaworski of EWE Baskets Oldenburg, who takes Player of the Week honors for Round 9. The guard played 43:28 minutes as Geno Crandall and Eli Brooks are both out injured and Jaworski poured in a league season high 39 points on 14 of 29 shooting (5/16 threes) and 6 of 6 free throws while also dishing out 11 assists and picking up 3 rebounds for an efficiency of 34 in an overtime win over SKYLINERS.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Max DiLeo, EWE Baskets Oldenburg
DiLeo only scored 5 points against SKYLINERS but he chipped in 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 1 block - not to mention diving into the scorer’s table to try and save a ball.
G: Andi Obst, FC Bayern Munich
Obst knocked down 5 three-pointers in scoring 17 points while adding 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in a win over Telekom Baskets Bonn.
G: Ferdinand Zylka, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Zylka hit 4 three-pointers as he scored 16 points to go with 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal against NINERS Chemnitz.
C: Till Pape, Telekom Baskets Bonn
Pape had a strong game in a loss at FC Bayern Munich with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
C: Martin Breunig, SYNTAINICS MBC
Breunig collected 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in the club’s record breaking sixth straight win against Bamberg Baskets.
Young Guns
Sananda Fru, 21, PF, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Fru started and played 30:58 minutes in Braunschweig’s win over NINERS Chemnitz, picking up 14 points on 4 of 5 shooting and 6 of 6 free throws, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
Ivan Kharchenkov, 18, SG, FC Bayern Munich
Kharchenkov tallied 5 points on 2 of 4 shots (0/1 threes) and 1 of 2 free throws, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 18:19 minutes against Telekom Baskets Bonn.
Jacob Patrick, 20, SG, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg
Patrick came off the bench against FIT/One Würzburg Baskets and collected 3 points on 1 of 5 shooting on threes, 1 rebound and 1 steal in 23:04 minutes.
Germans Abroad
Michael Rataj started the NCAA college season strong in his third season with Oregon State as the former FC Bayern Munich and ratiopharm ulm talent has already picked up two double-doubles in his first four games. Rataj scored 18 points with 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in a win over Cal-State Fullerton. The forward is averaging 15.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks thus far.
