Telekom Baskets Bonn started the quarter-final series of the FIBA Basketball Champions League with a loss.
The basketball Bundesliga club lost against the French club SIG Strasbourg with 76:77 (42:40).
After 17 wins in a row in all competitions, head coach Tuomas Iisalo’s team suffered their first defeat since January 15th. In European competition it was the second defeat in the 13th game.
Bonn’s leader TJ Shorts directed his team’s offense from the start. Despite a short phase of weakness, the hosts went into the quarter break with a 9:0 run and a 25:22 lead. At half-time, the Bonners maintained a narrow lead (42:40) because their bench players gave more impetus.
After the break, Bonn lost their rhythm and only scored ten points in the first nine minutes of the third quarter. The basketball Bundesliga team stayed in the game, in the final section the lead changed several times. The hosts gained the momentum with an 11:0 run and took the lead 74:66 three minutes before the end. But the Alsatians came back and hit the game-winning shot with 20 seconds to go. On the other side, Shorts (24 points) failed with the final shot of the game.
The Bonners now have to win the second quarter-final game next Tuesday in Strasbourg in order not to be eliminated. If they win away, there will be a decisive third quarter-final game in Bonn on April 18th.