Coppa Di Germania

[Ale Div.]

24/04/2006 - 13:09

Germania: l’ALBA Berlino vince la Coppa

I tedeschi dell'ALBA Berlino vince per 85-73 la finale di Coppa di Germania contro il GHP Bamberg, formazione che in questa stagione ha militato in Eurolega, affrontanto anche la Climamio e la Benetton.

Strepitosa la prova del centro serbo dell'ALBA, Jovo Stanojevic, che ha segnato 30 punti con 10 rimbalzi catturati, mentre per il Bamberg si sono distinti Chris Ensminger e Robert Garrett con 17 punti a testa.

Latest News

23/04/2006

GER - Stanojevic leads ALBA to victory

BAMBERG (BBL) - Jovo Stanojevic scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as ALBA Berlin fought off a valiant comeback by GHP Bamberg to capture the German Cup Top Four tournament with an 85-73 victory in Sunday's final.

The 2006 regular-season champions beat Bamberg for the second time in seven days after ALBA had knocked them off in Berlin last Sunday on the final day of the regular campaign.

"I'm very proud the team played like they did," said ALBA coach Henrik Roedl, who won the first title of his tenure.

"We were surprised to have a big lead and we knew they wouldn't just roll over and give us the title. But in the end I think we won clearly and deservedly."

The title gives ALBA their fifth German Cup crown following wins in 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003. Bamberg won the 1992 cup.

Bamberg coach Dirk Bauermann was proud of how his team fought back from a 51-25 half-time deficit against their biggest rivals for the championship and a spot in next season's Euroleague.

"We were paralysed and shocked with their lead, and we needed half-time to get over it," the Germany national team coach said.

"But I told them just take one possession at a time and that 20 minutes is a long time. We got back into the game, but they had too much quality at the end."

Alba's Germany guard Demond Greene started on fire from the field, hitting four three-pointers for all 15 of his points in the first six minutes of the game to open a 25-9 lead.

Playing in front of their home crowd, tournament hosts Bamberg were able to close the gap to 27-16 after one period.

But Berlin had too many weapons. Stanojevic and Nenad Canak each scored nine points as Berlin out-scored Bamberg 24-9 to open a 51-25 lead going into the locker-room.

Berlin went punch-for-punch with Bamberg for the first four minutes of the third period, still leading 58-33.

But Germany guard Robert Garrett and Chris Ensminger combined for 16 points, as Bamberg closed the quarter with a 21-6 run for a 64-55 deficit going into the fourth.

Steffen Hamann's layup made it 76-69 with just under two minutes remaining.

But Berlin playmaker Hollis Price buried a three-pointer from the top of the key with the shot clock winding down to push the lead back up to 10 points - 79-69 - with 1:15 left.

Bamberg would never get closer.

"Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for us in the first five minutes," Bauermann said of the hot Berlin start.

He also praised the performance of his Germany guard Greene.

"He took over responsibility perfectly, and he played the best five minutes I have ever seen from him. I'm happy to have him playing with us this summer and not against us," Bauermann said, referring to Germany's FIBA World Championship campaign in Japan.

Besides Stanojevic and Greene, Price (12), Quadre Lollis (11) and Canak (10) also reached double figures for Berlin.

Garrett and Ensminger each scored 17 for Bamberg while Derrick Phelps added 15 points and five assists.

By David Hein, PA Sport