IWBF - RSV Lahn Dill beat Galatasaray for record fifth Champions Cup

ISTANBUL (IWBF Champions Cup) – Michael Paye nearly collected a triple-double while Steve Serio and Joey Johnson combined for 46 points as RSV Lahn-Dill knocked off Galatasaray 79-65 to win the 2012 Champions Cup crown – the German wheelchair basketball giants’ record-tying fifth European title.

By beating the Final Eight hosts Galatasaray, Lahn-Dill matched the all-time IWBF Champions Cup mark of five titles set by BC Verkerk of the Netherlands (1991-93, 1995 and 1996).

“I am so proud of this team, which showed that willpower can move mountains,” said Lahn-Dill head coach Nicolai Zeltinger.

“Galatasaray may have the better individual players, but we had the stronger team. Our cohesiveness and our defense were once again the difference.”

Having already locked up their eighth German league and German domestic cup crowns in the past nine years, Lahn-Dill captured their fifth triple following a triple three-peat from 2004 to 2006 and a fourth in 2010.

Galatasaray was trying to capture their fourth Champions Cup after winning three in the past four years. But they could not overcome the German powers led by Paye, Johnson and Serio in front of 3,000 fans at the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall.

Paye collected 21 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds, while fellow American Serio tallied 25 points with six rebounds and five assists in taking tournament MVP honors.

Canadian star Johnson added 22 points on 10 of 13 shooting and grabbed eight boards. Dirk Köhler chipped in 11 points and 10 rebounds for Lahn-Dill.

“You can’t explain how much this means. We just love playing together,” added Serio.

All told, Lahn-Dill shot 62 percent from the field while Galatasaray hit just 44 percent and the Germans out-rebounded the Turks 36-28.

The German club – appearing in their eighth Champions Cup final since 2004 – used a 10-2 run at the end of the first quarter to open a 23-16 lead.

And the advantage grew to 45-33 at half-time in Istanbul.

Lahn-Dill increased the gap to 51-38 before Mateusz Filipski scored eight straight points to pull Galatasaray within 53-44. But the Germans were too consistent offensively and the lead grew to 69-52 after three quarters.

Serio made it 71-54 with more than eight minutes left before Lahn-Dill struggled to score and Galatasaray pulled to within 71-63 with 4 minutes to play.

Lahn-Dill snapped their five-minute scoring drought and went on an 8-0 run to end the Galatasaray title hopes.

Filipski ended the game with 18 points while Tristan Knowles had 11 points.

Ferit Gumus collected 10 points and nine rebounds and Ozgur Gurbulak chipped in nine points and 11 assists in the losing effort.

The game was Johnson’s final contest for Lahn-Dill as the two-time Paralympics gold medalist – 2000 and 2004 – and 2006 world champion will be leaving the German club with whom he has played since 2003.

“It’s incredible that after nine years in Wetzlar I was able to experience something like this,” said the Lahn-Dill captain Johnson, who received the trophy from IWBF President Jan Berteling.

FIBA