The Fitness First Würzburg Baskets beat EWE Baskets Oldenburg by 85:79 in a fiercely contested duel. In a game that was evenly poised for a long time, the visitors decided the game with a strong final spurt.
The game got off to a slow start and was characterized by many mistakes. Both teams conceded a lot of turnovers early on and there was hardly any flow to the game. Oldenburg mainly scored from the foul line, while Würzburg also had problems finding its rhythm in offense. The result was a tough first quarter, which the home side narrowly won by 20:18.
The game remained piecemeal for a long time in the second period, too. Although Marcus Carr (23 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds) scored from distance early on, there were still too many inaccuracies overall. However, Oldenburg found solutions in spells, in particular through Tomislav Zubcic (19, 5/8 3PM) with two threes in a row. Shortly before the break, Christopher Clemons (23) scored from outside to give Oldenburg its highest lead up to then and take a 46:39 lead into the locker room.
Würzburg comes back – Ivey takes over
After the break, the home side initially seemed to be in control, but Würzburg increasingly got into the game better. Brae Ivey (14, 9 assists) in particular took on responsibility and turned the momentum with eight points in a row. The visitors even took the lead at one stage, before Zubcic struck back with another three. The game remained open and went into the final quarter with a minimal advantage.
A real thriller ensued in the final period. Both teams continued to struggle, but Würzburg made better use of its chances at the right time. A three by Ivey put the visitors six points in front with just under one-and-a-half minutes remaining. Oldenburg tried to counter again, but the club from Lower Franconia remained stable and managed to hold on for an 85:79 victory.