TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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ULM'S MERRY CHRISTMAS!
A day after Christmas, ratiopharm Ulm celebrated their best Christmas present with a 100-82 Christmas Game home win over defending Bundesliga champions Ewe Baskets Oldenburg December 26th before a sold out Sportszentrum Kuhberg in Ulm. Christian Burns led six Ulmers in double digits with 23 points 4 rebounds and Coleman Collins added 19 points 5 boards while Austen Rowland was a perfect 6 for 6 from the floor for 16 points 6 assists in the win.
Point guard Austen Rowland sparked the offensive attack with a 16 point 6 assist effort in ratiopharm Ulm's 100-82 Christmas Game victory over Ewe Baskets Oldenburg.
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ratiopharm Ulm's Rocky Trice puts an exclamaition point on the 100-82 Christmas game win with this exciting late-game breakaway slam!
After a roller-coaster of a season through their first 16 games, ratiopharm Ulm prepared for one of the most challenging opponents in the Bundesliga as Ewe Baskets Oldenburg traveled to Sportszentrum Kuhberg for the special Christmas Game. Battle-tested through the rigors of their Euroleague schedule and finally back to full strength with the return of Bundesliga MVP point guard Jason Gardner, the Thunderbirds feature one of the top lineups in the Bundesliga as they return most of their team that won last seasons championship. Oldenburg swept Ulm in three games last season and had won their last two trips South to Sportszentrum Kuhberg. Without question, ratiopharm Ulm faced a special challenge for their Christmas Game.
ratiopharm Ulm's Christian Burns finished with 23 points 4 rebounds on 11 for 15 shooting against Oldenburg.
Sportszentrum Kuhberg filled for a special game. The Christmas holiday season allowed families to celebrate together and Ulm's Christmas game gave basketball fans an opportunity to enjoy exciting basketball action filling holiday family time. A basketball tradition dating back to earlier Bundesliga days, the return of the Christmas game in Ulm was much anticipated and the sold out crowd was treated to a showcase game featuring defending Bundesliga champions and current Euroleague participant Ewe Baskets Oldenburg. After player introductions, tremendous energy filled Sportszentrum Kuhberg and after the smoke from the smoke machines evaporated, a special buzz filled the the gym in anticipation for the special game.
ratiopharm Ulm post man Coleman Collins enjoyed an excellent 19 point game highlighted by several athletic dunks. Here, Coleman hammers home a power dunk as Oldenburg's Ruben Boumtje Boumtje challenges.
At tip off, Ulm took the floor ready for the challenge. Both teams attacked each other early working to establish themselves and find a rhythm in the game. After five minutes, the Sportszentrum Kuhberg scoreboard displayed an even game tied at 11. As Ulm's bench entered the game, players like Austen Rowland, Coleman Collins and Robin Benzing sparked the games first run. Ulm's recently added point guard, Austen Rowland broke down the Thunderbird defense attacking in ballscreen situations. As Rowland penetrated into the paint, he distributed the ball extremely well especially finding Ulm post man Coleman Collins who finished strong plays in the lane. While Austen was effective in ballscreens, rookie forward Robin Benzing attacked the Oldenburg front court with dribble penetration setting up his teammates with crafty midlane passing. Ulm's 11-3 surge to finish the first quarter gave them early control of the game leading 22-14 after the first ten minutes.
ratiopharm Ulm post man John Bryant grabs a rebound in the first half of Ulm's Christmas Game against Ewe Baskets Oldenburg. John's blue-collar hardwork in the paint was a key point to Ulm's exciting win.
Quarter two demonstrated progress for the young ratiopharm Ulm team. After building their lead, Ulm worked hard to maintain their advantage. Leading 26-19, Ulm power forward Christian Burns powered his way to a three point play in the paint extending Ulm's lead to double digits for the first time on the evening at 29-19. But the talented and experienced Oldenburg team responded with a 10-0 run tying the score at 29. During the Thunderbird stretch, Josh Carter, Ricky Paulding and Je'kel Foster keyed the run with big baskets. Huddling in a timeout, Ulm regained their composure. Where the young Ulm team had not responded to opponent runs earlier in the season, this Christmas game, Ulm rallied together and battled back. Again, Austen Rowland, Robin Benzing and Coleman Collins keyed a late first half run and a Lee Humphrey transition three sent Ulm into the halftime lockerroom with momentum and a lead.
ratiopharm Ulm rookie forward Robin Benzing was a matchup problem for Oldenburg as he scored and created easy baskets for teammates with skilled dribble penetration and crafty passing.
At the half, Ulm held a 42-36 lead. As a team, Ulm hit 44% from the floor making 2 of 5 threes and 10 of 11 free throws while outrebounding Oldenburg 17-15 in the first twenty of minutes. Coleman Collins started strong producing 12 points with 4 rebounds in the first half while Robin Benzing added 8 points 3 assists in quality minutes. Key for Ulm was their late second quarter run in response to Oldenburg evening the game at 29. Points in the paint were a big reason for Ulm's halftime lead as Ulm outscored Oldenburg 20-12 in the lane.
Supporting ratiopharm with relentless footstomping and jumping up and down, a ratiopharm Ulm fan broke a hole in the bleachers causing a brief stoppage in play in the second quarter. Dangerously falling through the hole and dangling high off the floor, the fan held on before neighboring Ulm fans lifted him to safety.
ratiopharm Ulm's Rocky Trice works against Oldenburg's Ricky Paulding.
As the second half opened, Ulm and Oldenburg exchanged runs. Ulm rebuilt their double digit lead with a 7-3 run to start the third. Three minutes in, Ulm held a 49-39 advantage. Over the next two minutes, the Thunderbirds cut into Ulm's lead with a 9-0 burst of their own. Five minutes into the third, Ulm was up 49-48. Ulm went with a small lineup spreading the floor and attacking the Oldenburg defense with ballscreens. While the tactic kept the offense rolling, Oldenburg also used their advantage for post touches and offensive rebounds. Maintaining their tight lead, Ulm's Austen Rowland finished the third quarter with several nice passes and a big basket giving the hosts a 66-62 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Huddling between quarters, Ulm knew Oldenburg would focus to make a run in the fourth. While most fans expected an early fourth quarter run, few fans expected that run would come from Ulm. Riding the energy of post men Coleman Collins and John Bryant and the crafty play of Rocky Trice and Per Gunther, Ulm exploded to a 15-4 start to the fourth quarter establishing an 82-66 lead with five minutes to play. Rocky Trice punctuated the victory with a steal and breakaway slam in the closing minutes sending the crowd into celebration. Ulm rolled to a 34-20 fourth quarter against the defending Bundesliga champions and the Sportszentrum Kuhberg crowd celebrated a fantastic Christmas present together in the 2009 Ulmer Christmas game.
ratiopharm Ulm point guard Per Gunther scans the floor facing Oldenburg's Je'Kel Foster.
At the final buzzer, Ulm had put together their most complete game of the season to earn the Christmas Game win. Ulm's offense caught fire in the second half hitting 24 of 33 shots (72%) and 5 of 7 threes (71%). Ulm's ballmovement and teamwork on the offensive end led to good shots against the excellent Oldenburg team defense. Also important in the win was Ulm's consistency throughout the game. While Oldenburg made a 10-0 run in the second quarter and a 9-0 run in the third quarter, ratiopharm Ulm responded by making plays of their own on both ends of the floor helping themselves rebuild their lead and remain in control of the game.
ratiopharm Ulm's Coleman Collins extends for a dunk through traffic in the Christmas Game win.
ratiopharm Ulm was led by Christian Burns who finished with 23 points 4 rebounds on 11 for 15 shooting. Coleman Collins added 19 points 5 boards while Austen Rowland chipped in 16 points 6 assists on a perfect 6 for 6 from the floor. Also reaching double figures, Robin Benzing scored 12 points and Rocky Trice and Lee Humphrey totaled 10 points apiece. Hardworking post man John Bryant finished with 7 points with terrific defensive effort before fouling out. For the game, Ulm shot 58% from the floor making 7 of 12 threes (58%) and 15 for 20 free throws (75%). As a team, Ulm dished out a terrific 18 assists while suffering only 6 turnovers.
ratiopharm Ulm rookie forward Robin Benzing hitting a smooth fadeaway pullup J in the first half against Oldenburg in Ulm's Christmas Game.
Oldenburg hit 48% from the floor including 9 of 26 (35%) threes and 21 of 27 free throws(78%) while outrebounding 31-26. Oldenburg suffered 19 turnovers in the game. Ricky Paulding paced Oldenburg with 15 points while Josh Carter and Marko Scekic finished with 14 points apiece , Je'Kel Foster had 12 points and Jasmin Perkovic had 11 points 4 boards for the Thunderbirds. As a team, Oldenburg finished shooting 48% from the floor including 9 of 26 from three (35%) and 21 of 27 from the foul line .
ratiopharm Ulm sharpshooter Lee Humphrey pulls up midlane before Oldenburg defenders close in.
With a terrific team performance and a big home win in front of a sold out Sportszentrum Kuhberg crowd, ratiopharm Ulm's 100-82 Christmas Game victory over Ewe Baskets Oldenburg was a fantastic holiday present for Ulm fans to enjoy.
Enjoying a win that makes Christmas very Merry in the special Christmas Game, ratiopharm Ulm looks to build on their strong performance in their next special game --- the Baden Wurtemburg Derby against rival Walter Tigers Tubingen Wednesday night at Paul Horn Arena in Tubingen. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm Bundesliga Basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
