“PS Karlsruhe LIONS Bow Out of Playoffs against Tübingen: Recap and Player Farewell Details”

LIONS ARE ELIMINATED AGAINST TÜBINGEN

The signs for the third playoff semi-final duel in the BARMER 2nd Basketball Bundesliga ProA between the PS Karlsruhe LIONS and the Tigers Tübingen on May 23 were actually quite clear. The Swabians had already won the previous two encounters and only needed a home win to reach the final and get promoted to the easyCredit BBL. Karlsruhe had traveled to the Neckar with a skeleton team and stood there with their backs to the wall. But the team surprised with such an energetic and determined performance that the Tigers literally had to tremble until the last minute before they could celebrate their 86-80 victory. Tübingen has been promoted, for Karlsruhe the season is over after 41 competitive games.

The hosts started powerfully and were already leading 5-0 when Julian Albus scored the first points for Karlsruhe after two minutes. Right from the start, Tübingen left no doubt about his ambitions to win the best-of-five series in the third duel and was already leading by two figures in the sixth minute with 19:9. Only then did the LIONS clearly show that they would not accept their fate without resistance and quickly brought themselves within striking distance again with a nine-point run. The first ten minutes ended with a slight advantage and 25:20 for the Tigers. In the following section, it initially seemed as if the favorite would pull away. But the pack of lions, which was severely weakened by replacements – three regular players were missing in Bazoumana Koné, Darko Bajo and captain Maurice Pluskota – showed fighting spirit and played freely. In the 14th minute the Paul Horn Arena, which was sold out with 3,150 spectators, saw a tight game in which the Tigers had to take their first time-out when the score was 31:28. Afterwards it was the guests who got a bit out of step and needed a timeout to talk. Three discarded threes from Karlsruhe follow within less than 60 seconds. But even the people of Tübingen weren’t able to score in this phase. The hosts were unable to score a goal of their own for more than three minutes and when the LIONS suddenly closed the gap to three points, the Tigers called the next time-out, and for the first time that evening they found themselves under unexpected pressure. Even if the difference in points at 41:35 had increased a little at halftime – most observers would have expected a clearer interim result in advance. A similar picture emerged in the third quarter: Tübingen made several attempts to pull away. However, the lead never grew into double digits and the LIONS continued to keep up the pace despite their small rotation. Karlsruhe caught up again and again and, given a completely balanced quarter and an interim score of 65:59, still had chances for the remaining ten minutes. But now the tiredness in the team was noticeable, which in turn opened up opportunities for the Tigers. After a Tübingen steal followed by a dunk to make it 68:59, LIONS head coach Aleksandar Scepanovic needed to talk again and took the next time-out. A good decision, because his team continued to play courageously, but also clever enough to successfully withstand the superior rotation of the home side. The pride of lions came back and caused high tension. In the 36th minute, the Tigers’ lead was down to five points, a minute later it was 11 points, only to be back at six points another minute later. The LIONS now felt that they could do much more than a respectable success that evening and were bursting with self-confidence. 55 seconds before the end, Ben Shungu scored to make it 80:78 and put Karlsruhe within striking distance. The last minute of crunch time again offered maximum excitement and was a worthy conclusion to a basketball game in a class of its own.

LIONS top scorer was Lovell Cabbil with 22 points, followed by Ben Shungu with 18, Lorenzo Cugini with 14 and Dominick von Waaden with 12 points. Four of the seven players from Karlsruhe played well over 30 minutes, Julian Albus was even on the court for the full 40 minutes. In view of these values, the energy performance of the team from the Upper Rhine in the last game of the season cannot be overestimated. The team and their support staff can now look forward to the official player farewell on May 25th at 7:00 p.m. in the Lina-Radke-Halle. Because in the basketball-loving fan-shaped city, the LIONS inspired fans and experts alike in the past season, so that they should be sure to cheer. Admission on Thursday evening is free.

Before the off-season begins, the LIONS want to celebrate their team with the fans and therefore invite you to the player farewell on May 25th. Press representatives are also very welcome and given the opportunity for final interviews with players and officials. There will also be an autograph session, during which there will be time for selfies with the fans, as well as press photos. The merchandising stand and snack point are also open.

Admission is free. Admission is from 6:45 p.m. – showtime at 7:00 p.m. sharp!

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