For some teams the last game day of the regular season is that last opportunity to go out in style as usually it means nothing in the standings. However on the last game day in Frankfurt, the season stakes were massive for both the Fraport Skyliners and Artland Dragons. They were fighting for the second spot with Giessen while the Artland Dragons thanks to a good ending spurt where they had played above 500 for 2 months had a chance to stay in the league. For both teams the outcome was massive, but obviously greater for the Artland Dragons. A little extra treat on the side was that Skyliner fans could witness one of the last great dinos from the easyCredit BBL Brandon Thomas (198-SF-1984, college: UMass, agency: Interperformances) play again as he was only a few months shy of his 40th birthday. One never knows how long guys like that will play again. On a rather cool late April spring day Brandon Thomas strolled into the Skyliners living room and literally left everything on the floor leading the Artland Dragons to the incredible 95-91 OT win keeping the Artland Dragons in the Pro A. It was a battle for 45 minutes where at the end it came down to a last shot that hot shooter Bruno Vrcic missed. “This game was tiring and it was a hard fought game where both teams wanted to win badly. I´m so proud of how the team played. Nobody gave up. It was very tough coming into here playing the second best team to stay in the league. Nobody expected it. I will never forget this game”, warned Artland Dragon Brandon Thomas. For the Fraport Skyliners, the absolutely worst happened as they fell from second place to fourth place in the standing and have a date with Jena and possibly Trier waiting in the semi finals. This loss could be a sour memory in a few weeks for the team. “We weren´t able to keep up the intensity on the boards. We gave up too many easy baskets and allowed Brandon Thomas to get hot which carried over to the team. We also let their bigs dominate”, stressed Fraport Skyliner center Ife Ajayi.
kevin Mcclain to the rim
3,400 fans arrived in the Skyliners living room with also quite a few Dragons fans from Quackenbruck. The Fraport Skyliners came out with massive intensity at both ends taking the 6-2 lead. Canadian David Muenkat and German Jacob Knauf led the charge with dunks and Canadian Aiden Warnholtz scored on transition. That basketball is a game of runs is no secret as Artland struck back with a 9-2 run as they got good energy from 17 year veteran Brandon Thomas with 5 points while ex Temple (NCAA) center Jake Forrester made a dunk and Tennessee native Anthony Watkins made a 20 footer for the 11-9 lead. Frankfurt came back with great energy from the bench from Bruno Vrcic as he scored 5 points including a trey and Knauf continued to get great position finishing another dunk for the 19-15 lead. Frankfurt had a good rhythm on offense and got another three pointer this time from German Jordan Samare while Ajayi made a lay in for the 24-21 lead. Cam Henry was spectacular in this phase making a monster block and steal and setting up Ajayi on his score with the perfect lob pass. However Frankfurt couldn´t keep the momentum as Artland closed out the first quarter with a 4-0 run. The Dragons bigs Aaron Kayser and Forester made easy baskets as Frankfurt had massive problems keeping the zone closed off as Frankfurt had the tight 24-21 lead. The Fraport Skyliners shotb67% from the field and 67% from outside and had 6 rebounds and 4 turnovers while the Artland Dragons shot 63% from the field and 25% from outside and had 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers.
Janis Hundt at the FT line
In the second quarter the game remained close in the first minutes, but the Artland Dragons calmed down their offense more and were able to stretch their lead to 12 points by the break. The big change in the Dragons offense occurred with point guard Nikolaos Chouchoumis who did a superb job leading the offense. He found his spots early scoring twice and Watkins hit a trey while Frankfurt got buckets from Ajayi and a trey by ex Belmont (NCAA) guard Kevin Mcclain to tie the game at 30-30. The Artland Dragons continued to execute well and in between made big plays for the highlight reel as Jordan Ratton made an incredible reverse alley oop dunk and lay in and Watkins and Forrester also connected as the guests led 38-32. Frankfurt kept fighting and got baskets from Mcclain and Justin Onyejiaka to trail 38-36, but Artland always had answers as Frankfurt couldn´t get stops. The Artland Dragons heightened their offense as their ball movement was good and just got great bench support. Watkins who played in the German Regionalliga a few years ago demonstrated that he is a fine Pro A player adding 5 more points. The kid was always in attack mode and was just solid in finding his spots. It also didn´t help Frankfurt´s cause that ex Randolph-Macon (NCAA3) guard Buzz Anthony hit a buzzer beater three to take the Dragons into half-time with the 52-40 lead. “I had a feeling that shot would go in. He was wide open and in rhythm. Plus He is a great shooter”, smiled Brandon Thomas. The Artland Dragons shot 67% from the field and 33% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 5 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 55% from the field and 43% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 5 turnovers. “The bench was huge. Ratton, Hunt and Watkins all stepped up. Every guy did their part. Our success in the second quarter wouldn´t have been possible without one guy”, commented Brandon Thomas.
David Muenkat at the FT line
In the third quarter the Artland Dragons were able to increase their lead to 15 points, but then came the giant Bruno Vrcic show as he went crazy leading the Fraport Skyliners back within 4 points with his hot shooting. Jake Forrester got Artland on the board first with another lay in as his athleticism combined with his physicality got him into good position time in and time out again for easy baskets. Frankfurt punched back with a swift 5-0 run as Warnholtz added a trey and Vrcic a lay in as Frankfurt trailed 54-45. Frankfurt just couldn´t keep a good offensive rhythm as the Dragons poured on their offense again with a Hund lay in and Thomas three pointer to lead 60-45. Frankfurt never gave up, but came back in brutal fashion showing their offensive capabilities with a 13-0 run as Bruno Vrcic added 8 points on 2 three´s while Coplin made a circus shot and off balance shot to trail 60-58. Chouchoumis then nailed a clutch three pointer to quiet the Skyliners living room for the 63-58 advantage. Frankfurt closed out the third quarter with a mini 4-0 run as ex TV Langen center Marco Voeller hit a runner and Ajayi a dunk catching the perfect touch down pass from Voeller to trail 63-62. “Vrcic was huge for them. He just came off an injury and showed how good of a player he is. I remember when he was younger and now he is still a talent and can still get better”, warned Brandon Thomas. “Vrcic stepped up when we needed him most. It was unfortunate that he couldn´t make the shot at the end. I´m proud of how he played. I´m sorry we couldn´t rally with his shooting”, stated Ife Ajayi. The Artland Dragons shot 57% from the field and 36% from the parking lot and had 24 rebounds and 14 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 49% from the field and 38% from the parking lot and had 23 rebounds and 12 turnovers.
Buzz Anthony from outside
The fourth quarter was a real battle as one could see that both teams wanted it badly. It looked like the Fraport Skyliners might pull it out, but in the last 2 possessions it was the hot shooting of Brandon Thomas that brought the game into overtime. Thomas hit a three pointer early for the 66-63 Dragons lead. Frankfurt kept chipping away getting a Knauf basket and free throws by Onyejiaka to tie the game at 68-68. The teams would trade leads as Frankfurt relied on their hot three point shooting while the Artland Dragons continued feeding their bigs as Ratton scored twice including a dunk. Frankfurt got three´s from Coplin, Henry and Vrcic for the 81-77 lead as Frankfurt had the momentum with 53 seconds to remaining. But then came the Brandon Thomas show as he drilled home a trey to trail 81-80. Cam Henry was aggressive getting inside for a lay in, but once again it was Thomas again taking over leading the Dragons into overtime with another trey to dead lock the contest at 83-83. “I told the guys that I would take the last shots. Coach put me in for a reason. I had to take responsibility. I´m thankful I made the shots”, smiled Brandon Thomas. “Offensive rebounds killed us. We couldn´t stop their pick and roll or penetration”, warned Ife Ajayi. In the overtime period the Artland Dragons got on the board first and would control the 5 minutes as Frankfurt always had to play catch up. Ex Monaco center Jordan Ratton was key as he kept attacking the paint and scored with an old school hook shot and then wooed the fans with a massive alley oop dunk for the 91-87 lead. “I see Jordan make dunks every day. He is so strong, fast and can jump. He reminds me of when I was younger in that he is always working to get better. I have seen so much improvement and that adds to the pride”, said Brandon Thomas. Frankfurt got a vital tip in by Cam Henry with 33 seconds to tie the game at 91-91. Anthony and Ratton free throws gave Artland the 93-91 lead with 25 seconds to paly. Vrcic missed an open three pointer with 5 seconds remaining and Buzz Anthony sealed the win with free throws. “Vrcic could of ended the game. But basketball sometimes is all about luck. We were the luckier team”, stated Brandon Thomas. “We were unable to get easy baskets and their offensive rebounds and crucial shots got them the win”, added Ife Ajayi. The Artland Dragons were led by Brandon Thomas with 19 points while Jake Forrester had 17 points while the Fraport Skyliners were led by Bruno Vrcic with 18 points. The Artland Dragons shot 55% from the field and 42% from outside and had 34 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 43% from the field and 36% from outside and had 35 rebounds and 12 turnovers.