Bundesliga basketball team ratiopharm Ulm won its Eurocup home game against Ljubljana by a score of 97 to 85 on Wednesday evening (15 March 2023). Ulm thus maintains a good starting position for the playoffs.
Before the game, Ulm was already certain that it would take part in the round of 16. The win against Ljubljana could help to have home field advantage in the playoffs.
High score game in the first quarter
The first quarter begins with the show of an ex-Ulmer. Zoran Dragic makes the first seven points for the guests. But Yago and Caboclo hold against it for Ulm. That’s how it is between Brazil and Slovenia after two minutes 7 to 7. Then the other players also play along – and score. The baskets fall easily, on both sides. In the first round, the offensives of both teams provide good entertainment. With 30 to 26, the first quarter goes to Ulm.
Drawn attention to himself for the first time this season: Ulm’s Fedor Zugic (left).
Strong second quarter of Ulm
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Ulmer game rolls on. The team has good ideas and scores nice points. The guests, the bottom of the table, seem without a concept. Ratiopharm Ulm first ensures distance on the scoreboard. At Ulm, one draws attention to himself who has not played really well this season. In the first half, Fedor Zugic contributed eleven points to Ulm’s half-time lead (53:41).
Stumbling start in the second half
Things are not going well for the home side in the third quarter. The team of coach Anton Gavel played unfocused in this phase. The guests do it better and in the meantime reduce the gap to four points. Gavel reacts with the time-out. It works, Ulm finds its way back into the game. The team made up for the slight slack by the end of the third quarter (72:61).
Offensive secures home win
In the last section, Ljubljana lack the class to come back again. Especially against the Ulm offensive, the Slovenians find no means. Strong in this phase, that the team holds against it even without Caboclo and Yago and other players show that they can also take responsibility. Ultimately, the top scorers for Ulm are Caboclo (26) and Zugic (21).
