The Rostock Seawolves and the Basketball Löwen Braunschweig have made a successful start to the new BBL season. Rostock laid the foundations early on for their 102–92 victory against newly promoted Phoenix Hagen, whilst the Löwen put on a true offensive spectacle in their 116–107 win over Trier.
In Braunschweig, an offensive slugfest unfolded right from the first quarter. The Lions scored 38 points in the opening period alone and led 66–61 at half-time. In the third quarter, they extended their lead further and went on to secure a 116–107 victory. Ramon Diaz’s team shot an impressive 59 per cent from the field and sank 19 three-pointers at a 54 per cent success rate.
The Lions’ top scorer was Devin Askew with 25 points, five rebounds and four assists. Sheldon Edwards scored 19 points, whilst Felipe Haase Thiers was perfect from the field with all six of his shots, scoring 18 points. Although Trier dished out an impressive 29 assists and grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, they only hit a third of their three-pointers. Jordan Roland fought hard to prevent defeat with 26 points, whilst Eli Brooks, E.J. Onu and Austin Crowley each contributed 15 points.
Rostock run riot against Hagen in the first quarter
The Seawolves got off to a dream start and won the first quarter 39–11. At one point, their lead stood at as many as 35 points. Rostock scored a total of 19 three-pointers and took a comfortable 61–33 lead into the break. Artur Konontsuk was particularly on target, sinking five of his six three-point attempts and emerging as the hosts’ top scorer with 21 points.
Hagen, however, showed resilience after the break and won the second half 59–41. The newly promoted side closed the gap once more in the final quarter but were unable to fully make up for their early deficit. Trenton Gibson led Phoenix with 20 points and five assists, whilst Adam Kunkel scored 18 points. Alongside Konontsuk, TJ Crockett impressed for Rostock with 15 points and eight assists, as did Bent Leuchten with 14 points and six rebounds.