Third win in a row: Rasta Vechta can’t stop Oldenburg either

AUDIO: Oldenburg wins basketball derby in Vechta (1 min)

by Florian Neuhauss

It looked as if the Baskets’ series would come to an end on Monday evening against their local rivals. At the start of the second half of the game, the home team – led by Alonzo Verge Jr., who scored a total of 32 points – was nine points ahead.

But after Braunschweig (93:68) and Hamburg (94:69), Vechta also felt Oldenburg’s new self-confidence. In the last quarter, the Baskets team managed almost everything in the fourth game under coach Lazar Spasic – and they won again confidently in the end thanks to 34:16 points in the last section. The guests’ best thrower was Chris Clemons with 25 points.

The Lower Saxony team have made an impressive comeback in the BBL. The opponents also see the “Thunderbirds” on the verge of flying high.

With now 8:18 points, Lower Saxony has distanced Hamburg (4:18) and Heidelberg (4:20) from the relegation places – and after a totally messed up start to the season including a change of coach, ensured a reconciliatory end to the year.

Because Oldenburg is still represented in the BBL Cup. Of all places in the RASTA Dome in mid-November, the Baskets secured their ticket to the Final Four with a score of 72:69.

Vechta initially holds up well – …

The duel in the league was a spectacle in the first quarter. Rasta had a lot of enthusiasm for the Oldenburg run. And even though Oldenburg’s guard Clemens initially shone with a 100 percent hit rate (10 points), Vechta made the duel even.

In addition to Verge, Luc van Slooten also shone at Vechta, converting two three-pointers. After almost eight minutes of the first quarter, the local hero scored to make it 21:19. But the Baskets turned it up again and led 26:23 at the first break.

The teams were not able to maintain this point quota – but there were still a few highlights: The converted three-pointer by the long-injured Tommy Kuhse was celebrated particularly frenetically, who equalized 26:26 with the first action after the restart.

Vechta now seemed to be in control of its own house and shortly afterwards led by five points (34:29/13.), but got bogged down again and again. And so the guests led at the break (45:43).

… and then lost a clear lead

But the home team started the second half extremely strong. Verge, TJ Bamba and Tevin Brown – after a good three minutes, Vechta had taken the nine-point lead (56:47). But the Christian Held team didn’t find safety either. Quite the opposite: Oldenburg came back and turned the game around again within five minutes. Seth Hinrichs scored a layup in the 28th minute to make it 62:59 for the guests.

But the air became increasingly thin for the hosts. And suddenly three-pointers on both sides landed in the baskets every few seconds. Three for Vechta, even five for Oldenburg in five throws.

Now it took revenge that only Verge scored consistently at Vechta, while the points at Oldenburg were well distributed. Four minutes before the end, the “Thunderbirds” were leading by five points (81:76) – and Vechta’s resistance was now broken. The Baskets pulled away, not least thanks to Brian Fobbs, who scored eight points in the last two minutes.

After two wins in a row, there wasn’t much to gain in the northern duel against the bottom of the table from Lower Saxony.