On the first day of the Adidas Next Generation Tournament 2020 (ANGT) in Munich's Audi Dome, the U18 squad of the host FC Bayern Basketball team won both first round games and will thus be battling it out for a place in the Final Four against the equally undefeated sqwuad of Stellazzurra Rome on Saturday (15:00). Against ZSKA Moscow, the Munich team won by a score of 69-55 in the morning game and then defeated the Ulm U18, 88-77.
Rome, for their part, celebrated two big victories and is probably slightly favored. In the parallel group are defending champions Real Madrid and Ludwigsburg after a big wins over Alba Berlin without a loss after one game each. A total of more than 1,500 spectators attended the qualifying tournament on Friday. The Munich ANGT ends on Sunday with the play-offs (starting at 10:00), the final will start at 16:00.
All tournament games can be watched live via livestream on the FCBB homepage.
FC Bayern Basketball U18 - ZSKA Moscow 69-55
In front of about 500 involved spectators Bayern started hesitantly. Some shots did not want to fall and the Munich team turned the ball over four times in the first two and a half minutes. Then in the sixth minute the liberating blow: After a three-point play from captain Sasha Grant, the team suddenly appeared more aggressive and concentrated. Even an injury to their 2.04 center Mohamed Sillah, for whom the game did not go any further after a collision (8th), did not slow down the FCBB. At the beginning of the second quarter they started a 10-0 run for 26-17 lead.
Even after the break, the team of Andreas Wagner and Steffen Hamann controlled the game. The teamwork worked better and better and in the middle of the third quarter they were leading by 18 points (48-30). Although the squad is supported by a total of five guest players, the play already looked fluid.
FCBB-Youngster Grant delivered the highlight with a terrific move: At the three-point line the Italian left his defender in the dust and finished with a spectacular dunk.
FC Bayern Basketball U18 defeats Ratiopharm Ulm 88-77
Coach Wagner was able to go back to Sillah, who had received a blow to the head early in the first game. He was in the starting five together with captain Sasha Grant, Benjamin Schroeder, Filip Skobalj and Luis Wulff. Bayern started with a good offensive rhythm and top scorer Grant took the first lead to 14-8. Wagner rotated early and another U16 player on the squad, Sebastian Hartmann, saw his first minutes.
After a three by guest player Simonas Lukosius off a fast break, the hosts were too the lead to 15 points (35-20/12.). In the next minutes, however, they had allowed a 13-3 run to Ulm. Just in time before half-time, the FCBB found the old momentum and thanks in large part to Grant's 19 points at the break, Bayern led 46-35.
The FCBB came back determined as a three of Filip Skobalj forced guest coach Anton Gavel into an early time-out. The lead remained relatively constant at around ten points for the remainder of the game. The Swabians fought hard but Bayern dominated the boards (36-27 rebounds).
FCBB U18: Simonas Lukosius (18 points against Moscow/15 against Ulm), Filip Skobalj (14/12), Sasha Grant (12/33), Linus Hoffman (10, 10 Reb./10), Leif Möller (6/-), Luis Wulff (4/3), Mohamed Sillah (4/ 3, 12 reb.), Alexander Richardson (1/2), Michael Rataj (-/8), Benjamin Schr öder (-/2), Sebastian Hartmann and Maxwell Dongmo Temoka.
THE SCHEDULE
Friday, January 17th:
Stellazzurra Rome - ratiopharm Ulm 91-65
FC Bayern Basketball - ZSKA Moscow 69-55
Alba Berlin - Porsche Ludwigsburg 43-88
Real Madrid - Promitheas Patras 98-67
CSKA Moscow - Stellazzurra Rome 61-100
ratiopharm Ulm - FC Bayern Basketball 77-88
Saturday, January 18:
9am: Promitheas Patras - Alba Berlin
11:00: Porsche Ludwigsburg - Real Madrid
13:00: ratiopharm Ulm - ZSKA Moscow
15:00: Stellazzurra Rome - FC Bayern Basketball
17:00: Porsche Ludwigsburg - Promitheas Patras
19:00: Alba Berlin - Real Madrid
Sunday, 19 January:
Placement games: starting at 10:00, final at 16:00
Photo credit: Eirich & Begum
