TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
103 
91 OT
SuPERb PERFORMANCE!
ratiopharm Ulm rallied with a remarkable 12-0 run in the final 2:27 of regulation as All Star point guard Per Gunther made back to back AND1 three point plays to lead the fourth quarter comeback forcing overtime, but BG Göttingen outscored Ulm in the extra session to earn a 103-91 win Sunday at Lokhalle. Posting a career high, Per Gunther finished with 27 points 6 assists for ratiopharm Ulm while Rocky Trice totaled 19 points 7 rebounds, 3 assists 4 blocks, Robin Benzing had 16 points 8 rebounds and center John Bryant added a 12 point 10 rebound double double.
ratiopharm Ulm All Star point guard Per Gunther spearheaded a tremendous fourth quarter comeback to force overtime, but BG Göttingen outscored Ulm in the extra session to earn a 103-91 win Sunday at Lokhalle.
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With 12 games remaining in the 2010-2011 BEKO Basketball Bundesliga regular season, ratiopharm Ulm entered Sunday's matchup against BG Göttingen at Lokhalle with momentum. Both teams entered Sunday's game with 10-12 records in the competitive league race and both teams were focused for a meaningful win. Playing an athletic, uptempo style, ratiopharm Ulm was prepared for the fast paced action and the players were excited about the challenging game at Lokhalle. For fans, excited about Sunday's matchup between ratiopharm Ulm and BG Göttingen, the fast-paced game would not disappoint.
ratiopharm Ulm center John Bryant wins the tip off Sunday at Lokhalle in Göttingen.
Tipping off, Ulm center John Bryant won the jump ball giving his team the first offensive attack of the game. But it was Göttingen's Mike Scott making the first big play of the game blocking a Robin Benzing shot to trigger a Violet fast break. Trent Meachum went coast to coast for an easy finish at the rim giving Göttingen the first two points of the game. Meachum followed with a pull up jumpshot on the next possession and Göttingen led 4-0. Dwayne Anderson scored on a spin move in the post and the hosts were off to an energizing 6-0 start. Ulm point guard Per Gunther finished a strong drive from the left wing through a foul putting his team on the scoreboard 6-2. Moments later, an Ulm turnover led to a Mike Scott transition slam and an 8-2 Göttingen lead. Rocky Trice drove strong from the left wing for two at the 5:45 mark before a second foul on Ulm center John Bryant sent Göttingen big man Jason Boone to the line. Boone made 1 of 2 free throws and the Violets led 9-4. Ulm's Sebastian Betz grabbed a strong offensive rebound and scored in traffic but Dwayne Anderson scored midlane for Göttingen. Per Gunther penetrated into the lane before finding a wide open Rocky Trice spotting up on the right wing for three cutting the deficit to 11-9 at 3:45 of the first. But an Antoine Jordan three rebuilt the margin to 14-9. Ulm's Robin Benzing went coast to coast for a left handed layin before finishing a crafty drive from the left wing pulling Ulm within one, 14-13.
ratiopharm Ulm guard Rocky Trice finishes a first half drive strong at the rim Sunday against Göttingen. Rocky went for 19 points 7 rebounds 3 assists 4 blocks in his return to Lokhalle
Göttingen held onto their slight edge before a basket cut from Sebastian Betz picked up a foul. Basti sank 1 of 2 for Ulm, but a defensive breakdown allowed an open right wing three for Antoine Jordan giving Göttingen a 21-14 lead. In the closing minute of the first quarter, Ulm's Sean Sonderleiter went strong to the basket drawing a foul before hitting one of two free throws. At the end of one, Ulm trailed Göttingen 21-15.
ratiopharm Ulm point guard defends Göttingen guard Trent Meachum in transition during the early moments of Sunday's uptempo game at Lokhalle.
As quarter two began, Antoine Jordan picked up where he left off hitting a right wing three. Sean Sonderleiter was whistled for a charge and Ulm suffered another turnover on the next possession. Jordan continued his performance with a layup pushing Göttingen to a 26-15 lead. Ulm used their first timeout. Out of the timeout, Ulm put together some plays as Sean Sonderleiter scored on a layin, Robin Benzing drew a charge and Per Gunther drew a foul leading to two free throws. Ulm trailed 26-19 with 7:31 remaining in the half. First half foul problems continued for Ulm as Sean Sonderleiter picked up his third foul defending a finish from Jason Boone at the 7:17 mark. Göttingen led 28-19. Ulm captain Lee Humphrey split a left wing ballscreen and penetrated baseline before sendnig a perfect pass to teammate Rocky Trice who smoothly buried another three. At the other end, John Little banked in a pull up jumper from the elbow before making one of two free throws on the next possession. Gottingen led 31-22. Per Gunther responded for ratiopharm Ulm hitting a right wing three and teammate Robin Benznig came up with a steal that set up Per drawing a foul on a strong drive. Per sank one of two from the foul line pulling Ulm to 31-26 at the 4:25 mark. Rocky Trice picked up a foul and added one of two from the foul line. Ulm trailed by four, 31-27. Dwayne Anderson dunked at the other end then drew a foul and converted two free throws pushing the Violets back up 35-27. Ulm center John Bryant sank two free throws of his own and Rocky Trice forced a turnover with a backtip from an Ulm press. Travis Walton collected the steal and raced up court with Rocky for a 2 on 1. Attacking the rim and gliding under the basket, Travis slipped a beautiful drop pass to Rocky who finished an easy two. The burst trimmed the gap to 35-31.
ratiopharm Ulm All Star forward Robin Benzing dives on the floor for a loose ball and passes to a teammate Sunday at Lokhalle.
Jason Boone scored at the other end before Dwayne Anderson hit a three and poked loose a steal for a breakaway score forcing an Ulm timeout. Göttingen's lead swelled back up to 11, 42-31 with 1:32 remaining in the half. Out of the timeout, an Ulm turnover kept the Violets momentum rolling. Robert Kulawick hit two free throws pushing the Violets to their largest lead 44-31. But Rocky Trice drilled a left wing pullup J for Ulm. At the other end, Dwayne Anderson spun baseline and hammered home a slam for Göttingen with 30 seconds in the half. Rocky Trice drilled another pullup jump shot this time from the right wing and the half ended with Ulm trailing 46-35.
ratiopharm Ulm defense comes up with a steal as Per Gunther, John Bryant and Rocky Trice get into the play.
At the half, Ulm took an 11 point deficit into the Lokhalle lockerroom. Dwayne Anderson and Antoine Jordan went to work for the Violets in the first half with excellent one on one play. Göttingen shot 62% in the first half hitting 4 of 8 threes while Ulm made 43% of their shots including 3 of 9 from three. Rocky Trice brought his 'A' game producing 15 first half points for ratiopharm Ulm. Making adjustments in the halftime lockerroom, ratiopharm Ulm returned to the floor focused for a strong third quarter run.
Opening the second half, Ulm's attack turned it up. Coleman Collins grabbed an offensive rebound and slammed home two. John Bryant grabbed a strong defensive rebound and Robin Benzing sank a tough pullup jumper on the left baseline. After another Ulm defensive stop, John Bryant grabbed an offensive rebound drawing a foul to earn two free throws at the 8:35 mark. Göttingen used an early timeout. John sank one of two from the foul line and Ulm trailed 46-40. The strong start to the third quarter pulled ratiopharm Ulm back within striking distance.
ratiopharm Ulm post man Sean Sonderleiter powers through Göttingen defense Sunday at Lokhalle.
Ulm had opportunities to continue their momentum as John Bryant blocked a shot starting a 2 on 1 fast break with Rocky Trice and Coleman Collins in the open court. Rocky floated an alley oop pass to Coleman but his dunk rattled out triggering a Göttingen counter attack. Antoine Jordan made the easy layup for the Violets. After the missed lob, Coleman responded with a statement slam on the next possession, posting up, spinning on the baseline and powerfully dunking before help-side rotation could arrive. The emphatic dunk energized the Ulm bench. Trent Meachum drew a foul and sank two free throws for the hosts. With hardwork and extra effort, Ulm came up with two offensive rebounds before ball reversal found an open Per Gunther on the right wing. Per drilled a deep three. Meachum responded with a pullup jumpshot in the lane. On the next possession, Per sliced into the lane, drew defenders toward him and dropped off a perfect pass to center John Bryant who slammed home two. Meachum came up with a steal but had his shot blocked by Rocky Trice. Unfortunately for Ulm, Göttingen forward Mike Scott followed with a two hand slam. Göttingen maintained a 54-45 lead.
ratiopharm Ulm players huddle during a free throw Sunday at Lokhalle in Göttingen.
Ulm continued to fight back as Coleman Collins drove strong to the basket and slipped a nice pass to teammate John Bryant for another dunk. But Mike Scott answered again, this time with a left wing three. At the 4:21 mark, Robin Benzing made one of two free throws. Per Gunther set up John Bryant again with a drive and dish for John's third slam of the third quarter. Ulm trailed 57-50. Gottingen's Jason Boone dunked at the other end before Per Gunther drilled another three trimming the margin to 59-53 with 3:25 in the third. Per came up with a steal and finished a midlane runner cutting the deficit to four, 59-55 at the 2:54 mark. Gottingen called their second timeout. When the teams returned to action, the final minutes of the third quarter became a free throw contest. John Little scored on a strong drive and finish before Rocky Trice sank two free throws for Ulm. With 1:25 in the quarter, veteran center Michael Meeks drew a foul and converted one of two from the charity stripe. Coleman drew a foul at the other end and made both for Ulm. With 47 seconds in the third, John Little drew a foul and hit two free throws for Göttingen before Lee Humphrey drew a foul and made one of two for Ulm. In the last possessions of the third, Rocky Trice made an athletic block and saved the ball giving Ulm a chance to further chip away at the lead. Unfortunately a turnover prevented any progress and the third quarter closed with Ulm down two, 64-62.
ratiopharm Ulm forward Coleman Collins battles with teammate Sebastian Betz and Göttingen big man for a rebound in Sunday's action at Lokhalle.
In the fourth quarter, Ulm's comeback continued. Sean Sonderleiter went strong to the basket drawing a foul and cut the margin to one from the foul line, 64-63. After a defensive stop, Ulm had the chance to take the lead but Rocky Trice came up empty on a transition drive. At the other end, Göttingen's Jason Boone powered his way to a strong finish. A defensive breakdown led to an Antoine Jordan three and Ulm used a timeout with 8:27 remaining. In an instant, what could have been an Ulm lead turned into a 69-63 advantage for the Violets. Continuing their effort, Ulm's Per Gunther made a runner in the lane. But Jason Boone finished for the Violets. Per stepped up again finishing an And1 three point play cutting the gap to 71-68 with 7:25 to go. Trent Meachum hit another pullup for the hosts before Rocky Trice made two free throws for Ulm. Göttingen led 73-70. Per Gunther missed a pullup shot from the right wing but Ulm defense drew a charge at the other end. 5:51 remained. On the next possession, Jason Boone blocked a Robin Benzing drive leading to a Boone dunk at the other end of the floor. Rocky Trice rimmed out a pullup J and Antoine Jordan sank a three at the other end. Ulm used a second timeout trailing 78-70 with 4:33 to play. Stepping up out of the timeout, Robin Benzing buried a left wing three. But John Little matched it at the other end with a three from the right corner. Ulm suffered three consecutive turnovers and another Antoine Jordan score gave Göttingen an 83-73 cushion. During the stretch, Ulm was rattled when Göttingen big man Jason Boone leveled Ulm's Rocky Trice on a backcourt screen. A clean hit, Boone set the screen against Ulm's zone press catching Rocky by surprise. Rocky lay on the floor as action continued down the other end. Ulm came up with a defensive rebound in the 4 on 5 situation and officials stopped play. Ulm physiotherapist Andi Lacher attended to Rocky who left the game (later to return). Ulm used their third and final timeout with 2:45 to play. Things became more difficult before they got easier as Jason Boone's dunk extended the Violets lead to 85-73 with 2:40 to go. The game seemed all but over.
But ratiopharm Ulm was not done. Down, the team was not out. John Bryant scored on a strong move through a foul. The three point play cut the gap to 85-76 with 2:27 to play. Ulm defense forced a Göttingen turnover. From an endline inbound play, captain Lee Humphrey stepped up to sink a critical left wing three cutting the game to 85-79 with 1:11 to go. A strong John Bryant defensive rebound led to a Per Gunther AND1 finish in transition. Per sank the free throw to complete the three point play and Ulm trailed 85-82 with 40.2 seconds. Gottingen milked the clock running the shot clock down before rookie guard Louis Dale drove strong to the basket. Ulm's defense forced Dale to lose the ball out of bounds off his leg returning possession to Ulm giving the team a chance to complete the miracle comeback. Point guard Per Gunther made the big play once again slicing through the heart of the Göttingen defense to finish another AND1 three point play. Cooly, Per sank the free throw to tie the game at 85. Göttingen used their final timeout with 15 seconds to play. After using their final foul to give, ratiopharm Ulm dug in for the defensive stop as Robin Benzing defended Dwayne Anderson's one on one drive and pullup from the top of the key. Anderson's shot was short and the final buzzer sounded with the teams tied at 85. ratiopharm Ulm's remarkable 12-0 run at the end of regulation forced overtime.
ratiopharm Ulm physio Andi Lacher attends to guard Rocky Trice who was flattened by a clean screen late in the fourth quarter.
As the Lokhalle crowd could not believe the games finish, ratiopharm Ulm huddled before the extra session with tremendous momentum. Overtime had been good to Ulm this season most recently with the comeback road win in Bremerhaven. With confidence from doing it before, Ulm focused for the five minutes of bonus basketball. On the first possession, excellent ballmovement set up Robin Benzing for an open look from the left wing. Robin's three rimmed in and out. At the other end, Göttingen struck first with a dunk from Jason Boone giving the Violets an 87-85 lead. Robin Benzing made a strong drive and drew a foul for Ulm and the All Star forward cooly sank both free throws to tie. Ulm allowed Louis Dale to drive from the left wing all the way for a layup giving Göttingen an 89-87 advantage. With both teams competing with intensity and exchanging plays end to end, the game turned on Ulm's next possession. As John Bryant passed the ball out of the post against a double team, officials whistled him for an elbowing foul. His fifth, John's night would end with his Bundesliga leading 11th double double of 12 points 10 rebounds despite the foul trouble throughout the game. After John fouled out, ratiopharm Ulm ran out of gas. Gottingen raced to a 16-4 run and the 103-91 overtime win.
ratiopharm Ulm All Star point guard Per Gunther eyes a key free throw with 40.2 seconds remaining in regulation. Per made two fantastic AND1 three point plays completing a 12-0 Ulm run to force overtime.
ratiopharm Ulm was led by All Star point guard Per Gunther's career-best 27 point 6 assist performance while Rocky Trice added 19 points 7 rebounds 3 assists 4 blocks and Robin Benzing finished with 16 points 8 boards in the hardfought loss. Center John Bryant posted his Bundesliga best 11th double double with 12 points 10 rebounds for Ulm. As a team, Ulm shot 47% from the floor inclucing 8 of 20 from three (40%) and 25 of 35 from the foul line (71%) while outrebounding Göttingen 37-36. The Violets were led by Antoine Jordan's 25 point night followed by 20 points 8 rebounds from Jason Boone, 19 points 9 rebounds 5 assists from Dwayne Anderson, 13 points from John Little and 10 points from Trent Meachum. Göttingen sank 56% of their shots making 9 of 21 threes (43%) and 16 of 25 from the foul line (64%). Ulm suffered 20 turnovers compared with Göttingen's 11 in the game.
ratiopharm Ulm's hardfought team effort came up painfully short in Gottingen, but the team's remarkable 12-0 surge to finish the game demonstrated tremendous heart and will. In the end, Ulm had several opportunities to take the lead, but in each case Gottingen deserves credit for making 'winning plays'. Ultimately, in the overtime session, after John Bryant fouled out, Ulm's attack fell off pace as the Violets earned the win. After the game, Gottingen medical officials kept Ulm's Rocky Trice for examination as a result of his fourth quarter collision with Jason Boone. Rocky was examined and released returning to Ulm.
ratiopharm Ulm claps for fans after Sunday's 103-91 overtime road loss at Lokhalle in Göttingen.
ratiopharm Ulm looks ahead to a rematch with rival Walter Tigers Tubingen in the Baden Wurtemburg Derby Saturday night February 26th at Sportszentrum Kuhberg in Ulm. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm Bundesliga Basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
