ratiopharm Ulm had two weak quarters against Gran Canaria and clearly lost in the end. Captain Tommy Klepeisz has to leave the field early.
The Ulm basketball players lost on matchday 14 of the EuroCup against CB Gran Canaria 76:83 (36:37) and fell back to fourth place. This also ended the series of five wins in European competition.
It was the chasing duel in Group A. Both teams had nine wins and four defeats before tip-off. The Ulm team missed revenge for the 78:125 defeat in the first leg.
The game began with a moment of shock for the Ulm team. Captain Tommy Klepeisz injured his foot during the first attack and had to leave the arena in Neu-Ulm supported by his teammates. It is still unclear how serious the point guard’s injury is.
Ulm with a strong rate from a distance
On the field, the Ulm team got off to a strong start in front of 5,200 spectators and quickly took a 9-4 lead (4th minute) against the guests, trained by former Ulm coach Jaka Lakovic. Gran Canaria then got into the game better and equalized. At the end of the first quarter, ratiopharm turned things up a notch. Alfonso Plummer made it a six-point lead with a three-pointer – 24:18. Overall, the home team hit 44 percent from distance in the first ten minutes.
A completely different picture emerged in the second quarter, now the guests were running hot. ratiopharm, on the other hand, initially failed to achieve anything on the offensive. Ulm’s coach Ty Harrelson called a timeout after an 0:11 run to reset his team. It took almost four minutes until Noa Essengue scored the hosts’ first point with a free throw. The 18-year-old youngster Ben Saraf now took responsibility and, with a total of eleven points in the first half, ensured that Ulm were only just behind at the break.
The game between ratiopharm ulm (right Alfonso Plummer) and the guests from Gran Canaria with Mehdy Ngouama was always competitive.
Ulm collapse in the final quarter
After halftime, the guests initially came out of the locker room better, but the Ulm team fought back with seven points in a row and, thanks to an aggressive defense, took a 59:54 lead into the last ten minutes.
The final quarter developed into a thriller – but not for long. Gran Canaria came close again and took the lead again with 62:61 thanks to a layup by Joe Thomasson (54th). Five minutes before the end, Ulm’s Justinian Jessup had to leave the floor after the fifth foul.
In the final minutes, the guests extended their lead to twelve points because ratiopharm no longer scored. Until around two minutes before the end, Ulm only managed two points in the final quarter. Against the Spaniards, who are now playing confidently, that was ultimately not enough to achieve their tenth win in the group phase.
Saraf is the best shooter for Ulm
The German team failed to jump past the Spaniards into second place, which qualifies directly for the quarter-finals. With four games remaining, the Ulm team still have the best chance of making it to the knockout round.
Ulm’s most successful scorer was Saraf with 19 points. In the Basketball Bundesliga, the third-place team will face the Rostock Seawolves on Saturday (8 p.m.).
Broadcast on Wed, January 8, 2025 6:00 a.m., SWR4 BW in the morning, SWR4 Baden-Württemberg
