The crisis at MLP Academics Heidelberg continues to worsen. The bottom team in the Basketball Bundesliga suffered its sixth defeat in a row at Alba Berlin. Yet there was even a glimmer of hope before the end of the game.
The Academics have now been waiting for a win for almost a month. Their wait continued in the Basketball Champions League during the week. The only positive aspect of their BCL exit is that they can now focus fully on avoiding relegation.
Alba Berlin did well in this regard in the opening minutes. While the home team initially had cold hands, the visitors – led by returnee Ryan Mikesell (15 PTS, 6/13, 6 REB) – took an early lead (2:9). It took more than five minutes for Moses Wood (7 PTS, 7 REB) to put Alba’s first points on the scoreboard. It was the start of an outstanding 16:2 run that put the capital city team on the road to victory. The run continued into the second quarter. Because Heidelberg was again unable to score from distance (6/23), Berlin quickly pulled away to double digits and later even to +20 points.
Heidelberg’s comeback ends in the final quarter
A comeback was only seen after the break – but by then they were already trailing by up to 27 points. And yet: Alba went more than five minutes without scoring during this phase and Heidelberg sensed an opportunity. With two minutes left in the quarter, the impressive Osunniyi (10 PTS, 5 REB) completed a 14:1 run. The bottom team in the BBL was suddenly only 14 points away from a tie. A layup plus one by Neskovic at the buzzer even reduced the deficit to twelve points.
In the end, however, a comeback failed to materialize because Alba quickly pulled the plug. Just a few possessions into the final quarter, Mattisseck and Hermansson (16 PTS, 5/9) rained down from distance. The latter later restored the original lead of over 20 points. The decision.
Heidelberg point guard DJ Horne (6 PTS, 2/11) caused a stir again one minute before the end of the game. The American unsportingly stopped a drive by Alba’s top scorer Jack Kayil (19 PTS, 7/12) by grabbing his face, causing the German national player to hit the floor hard – but fortunately he escaped injury.
With this victory, Berlin moves past promoted Trier into third place. Heidelberg, meanwhile, suffers its 13th defeat in 15 games and remains at the bottom of the Bundesliga.