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 with 79:73 (42:35) on Saturday (September 23rd, 2023).
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.
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).
According to the new mode, six second division clubs from Pro B will be taking part in the first round of the cup. In addition, there are the two relegated teams from the Bundesliga and the BBL clubs that took places ninth to 16th in the BBL last season. The best eight teams from the previous season only enter the round of 16.
Top game in Quakenbrück
The top game in the first round of the cup will take place on Sunday in Quakenbrück. The Artland Dragons meet the Bamberg Baskets. In the 2006/07 season the two teams faced each other in the final series of the Bundesliga. Bamberg won the title. The Dragons, who played in the BBL from 2003 to 2015, consoled themselves by winning the cup in 2008.
“Top Four” remains
After the first round, the round of 16 continues. The winners of the following quarter-finals then play the semi-finals and the final in the so-called “Top Four”. Gathering four teams in one place to determine the cup winner has proven successful, said Holz. There are considerations about determining a permanent location for the small tournament. This season, the hall for the “Top Four” will be determined after the quarter-final games.