WK III Basketball: Players Look Back on the Tournament with Pride

In Basketball Competition III, our younger team was eager to prove itself. The strong performances by the older students last year and this year in Competition II inspired the younger students to participate in the competition as well. Our opponents for the first two games were the Waldorf School in Marburg and Gymnasium Philippinum II. We needed at least one win to advance from the group stage. The first game against the Waldorf School was close at the start, but unfortunately, their team pulled ahead of us. It was clear that the team hadn’t quite gelled yet and was struggling with coordination issues. We lost our first game 15–30. After this minor setback and a brief analysis of the problems, everything was on the line against the Philippinum’s second team. The team got off to a much better start and was able to bring some calm to the game. The teams were neck and neck, but in the end we managed to prevail with a score of 20–17. Since we finished second in the group stage, we had to face the group winner from the other group. At the start, we tried to make the most of our chance against the Philippinum’s first team. However, it quickly became clear that we should save our energy for the match to determine 3rd or 4th place. We lost 18–39. However, there was no sign of low spirits or sadness at that point. We were excited to face the Waldorf School again in our final match. Refreshed and motivated not to give up so easily, we started our last game. The Waldorf School pulled ahead, and it seemed as though the result from the first game would repeat itself. But tenacious effort and unwavering determination ensured that we kept closing the gap in the second half. At the end of regulation time, both teams had 29 points. We agreed to a 4-minute overtime period. The atmosphere was electric, the players were fully focused, and the rest of the gym was watching the game intently. Despite our strong determination and hard-working players, we were unable to defeat the Waldorf School in overtime. We lost again and finished the tournament in 4th place. Nevertheless, we look back on the competition with pride and great joy. We’d like to thank Felix Busch and Elias Haas for their willingness to step in at the last minute and support the team. We wouldn’t have been able to field a team without them, and as solid backups on the bench, they always performed their roles very well during substitutions. Bennet Bredendiek was our workhorse on the court and did a great job with a lot of dedication and willingness to run. Xaver Teres Loytved and Eren Pektas delivered very solid performances, served as reliable passing options, and demonstrated once again that basketball is their sport. Leo Tzschentke, who plays for BC Marburg, also gave it his all and pushed himself to his limits. Last but not least, Anton Schneider deserves mention as the team’s playmaker and leader. With his skill, he supported his teammates even during practice and consistently made productive contributions. A great deal of responsibility rested on Anton’s shoulders during the games. Not even a sore knee in the final game was enough to break the young player’s strong will.

Players:
Anton Schneider
Leo Tzschentke
Xaver Teres Loytved
Bennet Bredeniek
Eren Pektas
Felix Busch
Elias Haas