TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
102 
91 2OT
ULM DREAM FALLS SHORT!
Upsetting ALBA Berlin three times in one season is the stuff dreams are made of for ratiopharm Ulm. After upsetting ALBA twice in regular Bundesliga season games, Wednesday nights German Cup Elite Eight matchup set the stage for Ulm's biggest upset with a ticket to the Top4 in Hamburg on the line. In a fantastic basketball game filled with thrilling highs and anxious lows, ratiopharm Ulm's Cinderella clock finally struck midnight in a second overtime when powerful ALBA Berlin captured an exciting 102-91 double overtime win. While Ulm fell short of their dreams of Hamburg and a "Hat Trick" against ALBA Berlin, the team captured the imagination of basketball fans for an amazing moment during their heart-filled run.
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With two losses on their mind, ALBA Berlin opened the action of this German Cup quarterfinal with intensity and energy. After ALBA opened scoring with a Dijon Thompson basket, Ulm answered with an alley-oop lob slam by Sean Finn from Dru Joyce. But a 10-0 ALBA run powered by transition baskets by Thompson, Julius Jenkins and Bobby Brown showed signs of a blowout for Berlin fans. With the score 12-2, Ulm huddled in a timeout to weather the storm. In the first possession out of the timeout, Dru Joyce buried a three showing signs of life for Ulm. But baskets from Aleksandar Nadjfeji put Berlin up 19-5 and Ulm seemed unable to establish their attack. A Jeff Gibbs basket was followed by a Nadjfeji foul shot and Ulm looked up at a 20-7 score. Bryan Lucas finished a play in the paint but Nadjfeji had another answer and ALBA held a 22-9 lead.
Romeo Travis buries one of his two first quarter threes that helped pull Ulm back into the game.
Subbing into the game, recently signed forward Romeo Travis made his impact immediately. With Ulm's offense needing a spark, the former University of Akron Zip, drilled a left wing three. His former Akron teammate Dru Joyce finished a tough drive and found Romeo for a second three pointer sparking an Ulm run. In a matter of possessions, Ulm pulled back into the game at 22-17. ALBA responded with a Dragan Dojcin layin off transition of an EJ Gallup miss. But Bryan Lucas drew a foul and finished first quarter scoring with one of two free throws setting the score at 24-18 after one.
Dru Joyce's leadership and intensity on the floor was key for Ulm.
Ulm allowed 71% floor shooting in the first quarter and Berlin showed signs of potential domination in the game. Ulm's early turnovers and empty possessions triggered ALBA's transition game and brought the near 6,000 crowd into the game. But the bench production from Romeo Travis and Bryan Lucas helped bring Ulm back into the game and slowly establish their offensive attack. Berlin's excellent intensity and terrific team play was exactly the ALBA team Ulm expected to see in the German Cup Elite Eight.
Ulm All Star forward Konrad Wysocki draws a foul from ALBA C Patrick Femerling in the first quarter of Wednesday nights German Cup game.
The first few possessions of the second quarter went scoreless on both ends. Finally with two minutes passed, Ulm's Bryan Lucas energized his team with a left wing three slicing the ALBA lead in half to 24-21. After another stop, Lucas drilled a second three giving him 7 straight three point makes against ALBA Berlin and evening the game at 24. At the other end, Dijon Thompson countered with a three off post reaction to regain the Berlin lead at 27-24. But in an amazing moment, Ulm's Konrad Wysocki tied the score again with a right wing three. Not just any three, Konrad caught a pass along the right sideline with 3 seconds remaining on the 24 second shot clock and banked in a turnaround jumper off glass while fading out of bounds. ALBA seemed stunned for a moment and Romeo Travis drew a foul on Ulm's next play. Stepping to the foul line, Travis sank one of two free throws but his make was significant --- at 28-27 it was Ulm's first lead. With 5 minutes to play in the first half, it was a new ball game. Wysocki drew a foul on Femerling and made one of two from the line before ALBA suffered a turnover and the scoreboard read 29-27. Later, with 2 seconds on the shot clock and endline inbound for Berlin, Bobby Brown showed his skill by drilling a clutch left corner three off an inbound pass to beat the shot clock buzzer and regain the ALBA lead at 30-29. 4 minutes on the first half clock and Dijon Thompson lengthened the Berlin lead to 32-29. Immanuel McElroy added another bucket and Bobby Brown scored to give ALBA a 36-29 lead. Finally, C Patrick Femerling's three point play put the cap on Berlin's 10-2 run as the hosts held a 39-29 advantage. A tough pullup J from Romeo Travis snapped the streak and pulled Ulm back to 39-31. Femerling added another layup and ALBA moved to 41-31. But like last game against ALBA, EJ Gallup was fouled shooting a three in front of the Ulm bench. The Ulm sharpshooter sank three straight to pull Ulm to 41-34 with 1:30 to play in the half. Goran Nikolic drew a foul and made two foul shots to give ALBA a 43-34 margin. Finally, ending the first half scoring, Jeff Gibbs was fouled and hit both foul shots to send the teams into the lockerrooms at 43-36. Considering the way things started, Ulm could be happy with how the half finished.
Ulm's EJ Gallup sinks a free throw against ALBA Berlin as Dru Joyce looks on.
After surviving ALBA's tremendous start, Ulm worked their way back into the game. Berlin shot an even 50% for the first half including 4 of 8 from three and 7 of 9 (78%) from the foul line. ALBA outrebounded Ulm 21 to 16 and dished out an impressive 12 first half assists. Meanwhile, Ulm hit only 39% from the floor but stayed afloat thanks to 6 of 11 (55%) from three and 8 of 11 (73%) from the foul line. The biggest difference in the game was ALBA finishing 10 of 15 shots in the paint compared with Ulm's 4 of 13. Dijon Thompson's 14 point first half performance spearheaded the ALBA attack while Bryan Lucas and Romeo Travis led Ulm with 9 points apiece. Rallying in the halftime lockerroom, ratiopharm Ulm returned to the MaxSchmellinghalle floor determined to change the game in the second half.
Dru Joyce sent the message immediately stealing the inbound pass to start the second half and driving in for a layup plus foul. Dru's defensive effort ignited a 7-0 run which saw Ulm tie the game at 43. After Dru's steal and score, Konrad Wysocki sank a quick-triggered right wing three followed by and EJ Gallup driving layup. Attacking again, Wysocki was called for a charge and Bobby Brown broke the Ulm run with a basket regaining the ALBA lead 45-43. Jeff Gibbs powered his way along the baseline up and over Patrick Femerling for a strong banked in score to tie the game again at 45. Julius Jenkins hit a pullup J that turned into a three point play when he hit the foul shot. Gibbs answered again with a basket and Ulm trailed 48-47. Dijon Thompson scored his first points of the second half giving ALBA a 50-47 lead at the 4:45 mark. Crafty veteran Aleksandar Nadjfeji scored on an AND1 pushing ALBA's advantage to 53-47. Bryan Lucas' consecutive three point make streak against ALBA came to an end when he missed his 8th attempt after 7 straight and when Nadjfeji got another basket in the lane, ALBA held a 55-47 lead forcing an Ulm timeout.
Hardworking Bryan Lucas draws a foul against Aleksandar Nadjfeji Wednesday night in the German Cup. Bryan topscored for the second straight game against ALBA with 19 points before fouling out in overtime.
Regrouping through the pause, Ulm aimed for a strong finish to the third quarter. But out of the break, an ALBA steal led to a Dijon Thompson slam dunk in transition building a double digit 10 point Berlin lead at 57-47. The 12-4 ALBA run came to a close as Ulm fired back with the 6-1 finish to the third quarter they were looking for. It started with a Romeo Travis pullup J, followed with a Bryan Lucas spin move on the block and was completed with a defensive rebound/outlet from Jeff Gibbs to a streaking Dru Joyce for a layin. In the frenzied last few seconds, Ulm stole the Berlin inbound pass and Sebastian Betz had a look at the buzzer but the shot could not find the basket and Ulm trailed 58-53 heading into the fourth. Just as in the first half, Ulm survived an ALBA run and responded to stay within striking distance. With ten minutes from Hamburg and a 5 point deficit, Ulm drew on the confidence of two earlier wins against Berlin. It was anybodys ball game.
Ulm forward Romeo Travis reaches for a rebound against ALBA Berlin Wednesday. Romeo sparked the Ulm offense with 13 points including several big buckets.
ALBA lengthened the lead with a Julius Jenkins three giving the hosts a 61-52 balance at the 9 minute mark. Ulm answered with a Dru Joyce three. Aleksandar Nadjfeji was fouled diving to the rim off a pick and roll but made only one free throw and Ulm trailed 62-56 with 7:30 to play. Jeff Gibbs pulled Ulm closer with a basket before Immanuel McElroy's second effort offensive rebounding gave ALBA a 63-58 lead. EJ Gallup buried a top of the key three cutting the deficit to 63-61 and Ulm had momentum. Jenkins and Joyce exchanged baskets again and when Dru stepped to the foul line, his two free throws tied the score at 65 with 4 minutes remaining. Bobby Brown sliced along the left baseline before drawing a foul from Ulm's Jeff Gibbs on the next possession. Officials ruled he was fouled while passing and Berlin took the ball on the endline. Ulm earned a big defensive stop and when Jeff Gibbs dunked over two ALBA big men on a baseline power move, Ulm held the lead 67-65 with less than 3 minutes to play. ALBA head coach Luka Pavicevic took a timeout.
EJ Gallup drives hard against ALBA Berlin's Aleksandar Rasic in Wednesday nights German Cup game. With Dru Joyce fouled out, Gallup played some point for a shorthanded Ulm team.
Over the next moments, Ulm had several chances to strengthen their position. First, a defensive stop gave Ulm the ball and Dru Joyce drove hard to the basket before finding EJ Gallup wide open on a penetrate and pitch play. Gallup's three rimmed long but Konrad Wysocki collected the offensive rebound. Resetting the offense, Ulm's Gibbs bounced a perfect backdoor pass to Konrad Wysocki who found Sean Finn at the rim. Finn's layup also rimmed out and Sean fouled out in the scrap for the loose ball. With 2:17 to play, Patrick Femerling came up empty at the foul line from Finn's foul and Ulm kept their tight 67-65 lead. On the next trip up floor, Jeff Gibbs drew a foul from Dijon Thompson and the All Star power forward made one of two giving the upset-minded Ulmers a 68-65 lead. Thompson came through for Berlin tipping in a rebound to make it 68-67. Nadjfeji fouled Lucas and Bryan buried both important foul shots giving Ulm a 70-67 lead with 1:23 to play. As Ulm hustled for a stop, Berlin missed a three point shot but grabbed the offensive board. With 1:10 to go, Bobby Brown's shot again missed, but again Berlin got the rebound. Finally, on their third try, ALBA's all star point guard Bobby Brown made it count with a clutch game-tying three from the right wing. Attacking off the make, Ulm's Dru Joyce intelligently milked the clock. Finally looking to create, Joyce drove hard at Brown who drew a critical charge. Not only did the ball go back to Berlin, but Joyce fouled out with his 5th on the play. ALBA took a timeout to design their play. But when action resumed, it was Ulm's Konrad Wysocki who made the big play drawing a charge on Julius Jenkins as he penetrated to pitch. With 4.7 seconds on the game clock, Ulm regained possession and called timeout. Now with a chance, Ulm looked for the big basket which would punch their ticket to Hamburg and give them the Hat trick against ALBA Berlin. From a halfcourt inbound play, EJ Gallup took a contested pass and was double teamed immediately. Splitting the double, Gallup hoisted a desperate shot at the rim which rimmed out. Amazingly, the ball bounced right back to him at the right elbow where he quickly released a light floater before the buzzer sounded. His second last second shot was short and the teams finished regulation where they started --- even.
After trailing early and late, Ulm stormed back to take a 70-67 lead with 1:25 to play in the fourth. Ulm's Bryan Lucas sank two clutch free throws to give his team the three point advantage, but ALBA's Bobby Brown drilled a clutch three to send the game to overtime.
Overtime opened with an Aleksandar Nadjfeji basket cut against the Ulm zone giving ALBA a 72-70 lead. Playing with out starting PG Dru Joyce and starting C Sean Finn, Ulm's shorthanded team needed to find a way for consistency on offense. Bobby Brown weaved through the Ulm defense and dropped off a beautiful pass to Nadjfeji who was fouled. But Nadjfeji made only one free throw and ALBA lead 73-70. Konrad Wysocki cooly sank two free throws for Ulm on the next possession at the 3:45 mark making the score 73-72. But Brown buried another big three giving ALBA momentum and a 76-72 lead. Romeo Travis tried to tie the game but his shot rimmed off. An Ulm defensive stop gave them another chance. Bryan Lucas drew a foul on his post move and converted both important free throws to pull Ulm within a basket 76-74 with 2:20 to play. Brown then sailed a beautiful lob pass over the Ulm zone to a flying Dijon Thompson who layed in the alley oop giving ALBA a 78-74 lead with 2 minutes to play. Again Lucas drew a foul. This time, Bryan made one of two and Ulm trailed 78-75. On the other end of the floor, Lucas fouled Nadjfeji sending the veteran forward to the line. Nadjfeji came up empty and Ulm marched up court down three with 1:24 to play. Like Ulm's upset win in Berlin, Bryan Lucas made a big left corner three tying the game at 78 at the one minute mark. Brown missed and Gibbs grabbed the rebound. Ulm advanced the ball and EJ Gallup hit a mid-lane floater to stun the MaxSchmellinghalle crowd --- could it happen again? EJ's big basket gave Ulm an 80-78 lead. But the upsetminded Ulm team was not done there. After another Ulm stop, Gallup took a crosscourt pass from Gibbs in the backcourt and looked to get across the halfcourt timeline to avoid the 8 second count. As he darted across the line, EJ saw a gap and kept going....all the way to the rim for the lay in. Ulm's bench errupted with energy. Ulm now held an 82-78 lead with 15 seconds to play.
Trailing 73-70 in OT, Konrad Wysocki cooly sank two free throws bringing Ulm back within one with 3:44 to play.
With one defensive stop, Ulm's dreams would become a reality. But this fantastic basketball game filled with twists and turns was not over. As Ulm worked for their stop, Berlin moved the ball quickly reversing the basketball to Julius Jenkins in the right corner. Closing out the shooter, Konrad Wysocki bumped him slightly but enough for a whistle. Fouled shooting a three, the ALBA All Star Julius Jenkins would step to the foul line with a chance to get Berlin back in the game. Calling timeout to Ice the shooter, Ulm remained in control. Out of the timeout, Jenkins cooly sank three straight free throws pulling ALBA to within one 82-81. Berlin immediately fouled Jeff Gibbs on the inbound and Ulm's Mr Incredible stepped to the foul line with two shots, a 1 point lead and 14 seconds to go. Gibbs came through in the clutch making his first foul shot giving Ulm an 83-81 lead. Jeff missed his second, but tracked down the rebound on the right lane line. Instinctively, he turned to attack for the game deciding score. Unfortunately, Brown knocked the ball from Jeff and the loose ball bounced off of Jeff's foot and out of bounds. ALBA had their chance. And Bobby Brown cashed it in. Beating Ulm's front line of pressure, Brown raced the length of the floor hitting a mid-lane runner to tie the game at 83. Ulm's EJ Gallup furiously pushed the ball up the right sideline but his last second attempt was well-defended and ended up off line. One overtime was not enough. The two teams needed more.
After an EJ Gallup driving layup, ratiopharm Ulm celebrated a 4 point lead with 15 seconds to play in the first overtime!
ALBA Berlin All Star Julius Jenkins sinks three straight clutch foul shots to tie the score in overtime.
The amazing German Cup Quarterfinal, filled with thrilling highs and challenging lows, was even at 83 needing a second overtime.
Jeff Gibbs opened scoring in the next OT with a basket to give Ulm an 85-83 lead. But Ulm's Cinderella clock struck midnight in the second overtime. Playing with out starting point guard Dru Joyce and both centers Sean Finn and Bryan Lucas, Ulm was playing on will and desire alone. Using players out of position and trying everything, Ulm left everything on the floor. But it was not enough. Julius Jenkins buried three straight threes against the Ulm zone breaking the game open. With 3 minutes left in the second OT, ALBA held an 89-85 lead. Romeo Travis came through in the clutch with a basket cutting the lead in half 89-87. But the third Jenkins threeball at the 2:30 mark gave Berlin a 92-87 advantage and the excited crowd could feel the win. EJ Gallup drew a foul on Nadjfeji (his fifth) and the Ulm sharpshooter sank both foul shots making the game 92-89. But Dijon Thompson gave ALBA a 95-89 margin with 2 minutes to play. Exhausted, the Ulm team could only manage a Konrad Wysocki layin in the closing seconds while Femerling hit a free throw and Brown sealed the game with a breakaway dunk. At the final buzzer, the 102-91 double overtime win for ALBA Berlin will go down as one of the best Bundesliga basketball games of the season. Berlin punched their ticket to the Top 4 tournament in Hamburg in early May while ratiopharm Ulm is eliminated in the Elite Eight round for the second consecutive year.
The amazing basketball game provided fantastic athletic drama in the German Cup. Six Ulm players reached double figures led by Bryan Lucas with 19 points, Jeff Gibbs 16 points 11 boards, Dru Joyce 16 points, EJ Gallup 14 points 5 assists, Romeo Travis 13 points and Konrad Wysocki 11 points 13 rebounds. Ulm shot 44% from the floor, made 10 of 28 (36%) threes and sank 21 of 28 (75%) from the foul line. ALBA Berlin was led by Dijon Thompson's 27 points 8 rebounds 4 assists, 21 points 6 rebounds 6 assists from Bobby Brown and 20 points from Julius Jenkins. Berlin shot 43% from the floor, made 11 of 32 threes (34%) and hit 19 of 39 (63%) free throws. ALBA dished out an impressive 25 assists while outrebounding Ulm 51-43. After three games against ALBA Berlin, ratiopharm Ulm won twice and lost in double overtime on the road, certainly a fantastic result for the Ulm team.
Playing without point guard Dru Joyce and both centers Sean Finn and Bryan Lucas who all fouled out, ratiopharm Ulm gave everything before falling victim to 3 Julius Jenkins three pointers in the second OT.
ratiopharm Ulm's dreams of the German Cup Top 4 Tournament in Hamburg and a third consecutive victory over ALBA Berlin ended Wednesday night, but the teams heart and fantastic effort will be remembered. For ratiopharm Ulm, the clock struck midnight in double OT.
Next up for ratiopharm Ulm, Bayer Leverkusen visits Sportszentrum Kuhberg Monday afternoon March 24th for a 3pm Holiday tip. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm Bundesliga Basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
