The Tigers Tübingen have been promoted to the Basketball Bundesliga. In game three of the playoff semifinals of the second Bundesliga, Tübingen won 86:80 against the Karlsruhe Lions.
When Mateo Seric grabbed the decisive rebound a few seconds before the end, the Tübingen Arena exploded. A short time later, yellow and black confetti flew onto the floor, underneath which the Tigers danced to the chants. “First League – Tübi is there” echoed through the Tübingen Arena. The Tigers Tübingen have achieved the longed-for goal and made it into the final perfectly, which also means sporting promotion. And that in an “incredible” mood, as General Manager Jascha Maus said in an SWR interview after the triumph. The rise in sport was also a special experience for Till Jönke, he played with the Tigers in the BBL in 2014.
Good omens for the Tigers Tübingen
“In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the Lions get swept tonight” was the clear message from the Tübingen fans on a banner – with a win and 3-0 in the best-of-five series, the sporting promotion should be made clear . The 3,100 spectators, including ex-Tigers player Bogdan Radosavljevic, in the sold-out Tübingen Arena were already looking forward to the third and perhaps decisive game to return to the BBL before the game.
The starting position before the second home game in the playoff semifinals was clear. The Tübingen basketball team led the series against the Karlsruhe Lions 2-0. Despite the supposedly comfortable lead and a clear 95:51 in the first game, Tigers head coach Danny Jansson expected “a completely different game”.
The Tigers Tübingen have the game under control from the start
The hosts put the Karlsruhe Lions under pressure early on, who had traveled to Tübingen with just eight players due to injury concerns. Above all, Mateo Seric caused a stir in the Tigers offensive in the first few minutes, the first seven points all went to the 24-year-old’s account.
After a good five minutes, the Tigers were already 19:9 ahead. But Karlsruhe gradually found its way into the game and in the meantime reduced the gap to just one point with a 9-0 run. Overall, the hit rate from the three-man line at Tübingen fell, but the Tigers went out of the first quarter with a 25:20 lead.
Tigers remain in the lead and on course for promotion
Tigers head coach Danny Jansson has so far been content with his side’s early days as the silent observer in his coaching chair. The second quarter also got off to a good start for his team. Five quick points from Mateo Seric and Erol Ersek forced Karlsruhe to the first timeout when the score was 30:22 for Tübingen.
It got emotional next to the floor, Lions coach Aleksandar Scepanovic was dissatisfied with some of the referee’s decisions and subsequently took on the Tübingen audience. Woken up by this, the guests initially played within striking distance again, with Lovell Cabbil Jr. in particular bearing the brunt of Karlsruhe’s attacking efforts with 16 points. The Tigers didn’t let that deter them and stayed in the lead – the half-time score was 41:35. On the Tigers side, Mateo Seric was the most successful thrower with 14 points to date. Striking: Both teams with less than 20 percent hit rate from beyond the three-way line
The Tigers remain in the lead
The game became increasingly balanced. Worth seeing is the dunk by Tigers forward Zachary Seljaas to 48:40 after a nice pass by Timo Lanmüller. Karlsruhe remained in good hands despite the few opportunities to change from the bank. Nevertheless, the Tigers kept control of the game and didn’t let Karlsruhe come closer in terms of points. With a score of 65:59 for Tübingen, we went into the last quarter.
Before the last round, the Tübingen Arena rose again, because the ascent seemed close enough to touch. The Jansson team didn’t want to let anything go to waste, Bakary Dibba sent a clear signal with a quick counterattack and the dunk to 68:59 – a time out in Karlsruhe.
The victory is only briefly in danger – BBL promotion perfect
In the final phase, Karlsruhe’s Ivan Karacic was thrown off the floor with his fifth foul, the Lions were down to seven players four minutes before the end of the game. But it got tight again, the Lions reduced the lead to 78:80 a minute before the end of the game. Nervous Tigers Tübingen recovered and won the game 86:80. The return to the BBL was therefore perfect and the Tübingen promotion celebration could begin.
