Ratiopharm Ulm have kicked off the new Eurocup season with a convincing victory. The Danube Swabians have now made up for last weekend’s heavy league defeat with a solid performance against the Bulgarian club Balkan Botevgrad. Youngster Michael Rataj put in another impressive performance.
The 22-year-old scored 15 points, shooting an impressive 6 out of 7 from the field. Ibi Watson (19), Simi Shittu (17) and Jaylen Sims (15) also reached double figures.
Ulm set themselves on course for victory early on. As early as the first quarter, they pulled away from their Bulgarian visitors with an 18–5 run to establish a double-digit lead. Guard Ibi Watson was particularly in the spotlight during this phase; the eventual top scorer netted ten of his 19 points in the opening quarter. Before the half-time break, Ulm – who were shooting a strong 13/28 from beyond the arc – even came close to the 20-point mark.
A final surge from the visitors came too late. Botevgrad’s Javante McCoy, who led all players by a clear margin with 32 points, narrowed the gap to -9 (89–80) with two minutes remaining. Once again, it was Ibi Watson who sealed the victory with two crucial baskets.
Ulm’s next BBL fixture is on Saturday away at MBC in Weißenfels.
