Ulm. The Schwabenderby between Ratiopharm Ulm and the MHP giants Ludwigsburg was an exciting affair. There was a change in leadership before the Ludwigsburg team went off the floor with an 83:77 win. All in all, it was a basketball game at eye level, but under the basket the Bundesliga club from the Danube had no chance against the competitors from the Neckar. Yorman Polas Bartolo (11 rebounds), Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann (9) and Desi Rodriguez (7) dominated the opposing zone. The Ludwigsburg got one more rebound under the Ulmer basket and scored 40 points there. “These three players were very important to us today,” said giant coach John Patrick after the game.
Rodriguez in particular stood out. After the giants started 8-0, the rookie came onto the field. It was also he who scored successfully for the giants for the first time with a three-point game – almost five minutes had already been played. “We got off to a bad start,” said Patrick. “Then we played with a smaller line-up and Desi as the center. That brought us energy and speed. “
The American Rodriguez had great difficulties with the European style of play at the beginning of the season. Now he’s getting along better and better. In Ulm, the 24-year-old contributed not only seven rebounds but also 16 points with his force under the basket. Only Polas Bartolo was even more effective with eleven rebounds and 19 points.
As a result, an exciting derby developed. While the leadership changed often, neither team managed to break away. Ulm went into the final round with a 58:54 lead. But right at the beginning, the giants put an exclamation mark. After Jaleen Smith’s successful free throws, Jordan Hulls threw a threesome through the trap. It was almost like the first leg. Ulm tried to fight, but Ludwigsburg remained ice cold and had the right answer to every Ulm attempt. Above all, Smith and Hulls landed important goals and hardly allowed themselves one mistake in the decisive phase.
While Ulm was showing increasing nerves, Hulls hit three threes in the final round and brought the Giants back into the lead with 76:75 1:41 minutes to go. After the hosts lost the ball, Smith pocketed a three, Polas Bartolo followed up with 83:77 12.9 seconds before the end. “The last quarter made the difference today,” Ulms coach Jaka Lakovic had to admit after the game. Also in January in the 89:87 success of the giants in Ludwigsburg, the Baroque townspeople seized the victory in the final phase. Hulls managed the decisive three in the final second.
After the end of the 18-game winning streak due to the defeat in Crailsheim a week ago, the giants are already back on the road to success. The league leaders don’t have much time to enjoy that. Already on Tuesday evening (8.30 p.m. / magentasport) the people from Ludwigsburg will be competing in the Baskets in Würzburg. “It will be difficult. Würzburg has strengthened itself well ”, Patrick already looked ahead.
–
