Former national team captain Robin Benzing pulled off a surprise with the JobStairs Giessen 46ers in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) Cup.
In the first round, the second division team eliminated the BBL representative Hakro Merlins Crailsheim 79:73 (42:35). It is the first win for an outsider this season; after a 14-year break, clubs from the lower house are allowed to play in the cup again.
On Friday, the MLP Academics Heidelberg (BBL) won their opening game against medi Bayreuth (ProA) (89:82). The best eight teams from the last BBL season only enter the round of 16.
Benzing, who signed in Giessen until 2025 at the end of July, recorded 17 points. The ProA club’s best thrower was Duane Wilson (22). The 34-year-old Benzing did not make it into the German squad before the 2022 European Championship at home. His successor as captain was Dennis Schröder, who led the national team to European Championship bronze and World Cup gold.