GER - Koln collect third german cup in four years

HAMBURG (German Cup) - RheinEnergie Koln survived some last-minute jitters to collect the club's third German Cup title in the past four years with a 60-58 victory over Artland Dragons.

Demond Mallet scored a game-high 21 points but made just one of two free throws with 12.7 seconds left. Koln's all-around specialist Immanuel McElroy then split a pair of foul shots with 11 seconds left, giving Artland a final chance but Lamont McIntosh's three-pointer clinked off the rim.

Sasa Obradovic's Koln team lost both regular-season match-ups against the Dragons.

But they overcame 20 turnovers with tough defence, holding Artland to 30% shooting (17-of-56). And it gave Obradovic his third German Cup crown - the 2004 and 2005 titles as a player.

"I've had a lot of high points in my career. But every one counts more than the last one," said Obradovic, who won the 1998 FIBA World Championship and three
European crowns as well as coaching Koln to the German league title last season - his first campaign as a coach.

"My team played with a lot of character, working hard to find a way to win. I think everybody can be satisfied with this win."

Obradovic also said the win was important as Koln near the post-season.

"The guys saw the way we should play in the play-offs because that was definitely like a play-off game. It's the same rhythm of the play-offs. And it's important to be physical but we have to be mentally strong as well."

Marcin Gortat added 10 points and five blocked shots for the winners.

Nik Caner Medley led Artland with 13 points while Adam Hess added 12 for the Dragons, who were playing for their first title in German basketball. Artland's emotional leader Darius Hall had to leave the game injured early in the third and scored just five points.

Koln led by 13 points early in the second quarter but fell behind by four points late in the third before Mallet drained a three-pointer to give Koln a 47-44 lead going into the fourth.

Jan Rohdewald scored a three-pointer to tie the game at 47-47, only to watch Koln pull ahead 58-51. Bryan Bailey's two foul shots made it 58-57 with 12.9 seconds left.

After Mallet made a free throw, Obradovic elected to send Filiberto Rivera to the foul stripe where the Puerto Rican international missed a chance to tie the game, making just one of two shots for a 59-58 game with 12.2 seconds left.

"Our disappointment is enormous. But we just have to put it behind us. We had two games of play-off level basketball," said Artland coach Chris Fleming.

"In the second half, we played with high intensity, but we missed a lot of chances late, especially in the end with the free throws."

Earlier on Sunday, Ludwigsburg clinched third place in the competition with an 82-64 victory over Eisbaren Bremerhaven.

Gordon Scott led the way with 29 points off the bench while Bremerhaven wasted a 17-point and 12-rebound showing by Charles-Judson Wallace.

FIBA