GER - German U17 Boys advance to the quarter finals

HAMBURG (Albert Schweitzer Tournament) - Germany started with Anselm Hartmann, Jakob Krumbeck, Malik Müller, Paul Albrecht, and Bogdan Radosavljevic and started off with four quick points (Radosavljevic and Krumbeck). Like in the game against China, the defensive performance of Frank Menz' squad was tremendous so New Zealand struggled offensively. Anselm Hartmann did a great job organizing the German game but he also dropped important points from three-point land for the 16:6 lead (16. Min.).

Menz put Besnik Bekteshi into the game and the guard proved his shooting abilities right after that with a three-pointer for the 27:10 lead. New Zealand however, increased their pressure defensively and also collected more rebounds. Especially guard Brad Anderson kept on scoring so New Zealand closed the game further (30:23, 17. Min.). But Germany came back strong with Fabian Bleck's drive to the basket and Julius Wolf's three-pointer for the 35:24 halftime score.

After the halftime break the defense dominated on both ends. Germany's Malik Müller stole the ball and finished for the 37:26 (22. Min.). But Germany was able to rely on their offensive abilities to increase the lead further. Paul Albrecht was very present in the paint and conducted six consecutive points for the host of the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship in Hamburg (43:29). But New Zealand closed the gap in the final minutes of the third quarter and put pressure on the young Germans with regard to the final quarter.

The answer by the Germans was to follow in the final ten minutes. The Menz Team showed more presence athletically and established a comfortable lead again. In addition to that, the German U17 Team was able to rely on their strong defense and hold their opponents down to 55 points. In the end, Germany secured both, the 64:55 win and their participation in the quarterfinals. Tomorrow, the Menz Team will even be able to reach the top spot in their preliminary group when taking on Italy at 6 pm in the MWS Halle in Mannheim.

Germany played with:
Anselm Hartmann (TuS Jena, 12), Josip Peric (ALBA Berlin), Malik Müller (SG Urspringschule, 7), Besnik Bekteshi (BSG Ludwigsburg, 9), Jakob Krumbeck (TuS Jena, 6), Fabian Bleck (Phoenix Hagen, 2), Paul Albrecht (TuS Jena, 15), Julius Wolf (SG Urspringschule), Tim Unterluggauer (TSV Bayer Leverkusen), Stephan Haukohl (TuS Jena, 2), Jonathan Malu (SOBA Rhöndorf, 2) and Bogdan Radosavljevic (without club, 2).