Stuttgart’s Tyler Jackson drives to the basket while guarded by Vilseck’s Malcolm Howard in a pool play game Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, at the DODEA European Division I Basketball Championships at Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany – Stuttgart’s top-seeded basketball teams entered Thursday’s play in the DODEA European Division I championships with the goal of making it to Friday’s semifinals.
That goal was accomplished, though in demonstrably different fashions.
In girls action, the Panthers lost to Ramstein 29-25 and so will go in as Pool A’s second seed – and meet SHAPE in today’s semifinals. The Royals take on Kaiserslautern in the other matchup.
Stuttgart’s boys, on the other hand, stayed unbeaten and perhaps sent a statement in the process. The Panthers scored the first 25 points of their contest against Vilseck – which finished second in the regular season – not giving up a single point until 4 minutes, 59 seconds left in the first half.
“Basically, we locked in defensively,” coach Christopher Jackson said. “When we do that, we score at a rapid rate. Because we’re so quick and unselfish.”
The Panthers will meet host Wiesbaden in one semifinal Friday. Ramstein, which survived a 32-31 overtime thriller with SHAPE, grabbed the top seed in the other pool and faces Vilseck.
Wiesbaden’s Jordan Thibodeaux drives for a shot against Kaiserslautern’s Uray Dukuly in the last day of pool play at the DODEA European Division I Basketball Championships on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vilseck’s Jayslin Santellano puts up a shot before a trio of Lakenheath defenders can arrive on the second day of pool play at the DODEA European Basketball Championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart's Mia Snyder, from left, Ramstein's Feliciana Davis and Stuttgart's Ella Kirk battle for a rebound in Ramstein's victory over Stuttgart in pool play at the DODEA European Division I Basketball Championships on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Wiesbaden, Germany. Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes ()
Ramstein's Bralyn Jones drives to the basket Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in a pool play game against Stuttgart at the DODEA European Division I Basketball Championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. Jones was hurt and had to leave the game, but the Royals prevailed. Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes ()
Ramstein’s Christan Roy puts up a shot Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, before SHAPE’s Bela Clobes can get to him at at the DODEA European Division I Basketball Championships at Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Lakenheath’s Jessie Moon puts up a shot in her team’s victory over Kaiserslautern at the DODEA European Division I Basketball Championships on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
SHAPE’s Bela Clobes grimaces while putting up a shot Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, at the DODEA European Division I Basketball Championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
The Ramstein-SHAPE game might have been the division’s best game thus far, and the Spartans needed to win it to reach the semifinals.
SHAPE did lead for much of the early going. The Royals ran down the clock at the end of regulation but turned the ball over with 3 seconds left. That left the Spartans enough time to inbound the ball via a three-quarters court pass to star Bela Clobes, whose turnaround jumper banged off the back rim.
That meant overtime and Ramstein quickly forged ahead on a three-point play by Kelan Vaughn. After the teams traded baskets, the Spartans regained possession with 10 seconds left. But Christian Roy intercepted an inbounds pass intended for Clobes and the game appeared over with the Royals inbounding the ball with two seconds to play. But the Royals were called for a traveling violation, giving the Spartans one more shot.
Once again, SHAPE tried to get the ball to Clobes, but he couldn’t break free. And a hurried 3-point shot at the buzzer sailed long.
The Royals also celebrated after their final girls pool game, thanks to the late game heroics of A’Lydia McNeal and Grayen Canady. McNeal scored a basket on an assist from Canady and the two also added single free throws to break a tie late in a 29-25 victory.
McNeal, who transferred to Ramstein from Lakenheath after winter break, spread the credit around.
“We’re a very well-rounded team,” she said. “We don’t have to rely on just one person.”
That was especially beneficial Thursday, because point guard Bralyn Jones – who helped her team to a 10-5 early advantage – hurt her ankle at that point and didn’t return.
SHAPE’s Jessie Moon did come close to a one-person effort in the final minute of the Spartans’ 37-32 victory over Kaiserslautern that gave them the top seed in the other pool.
With the game tied, Moon missed two free throws and then turned the ball over. But she followed that immediately by stealing the ball and converting two free throws to put her team on top. The Raiders tied the game before Moon missed a clean layup and follow-up shot before Kaiserslautern turned the ball over. Moon then followed with a 3-point shot and two free throws and neither team scored again.
Kaiserslautern, the second seed, will finish the tournament without standout Katya von Eicken, who injured her leg in the team’s second game Wednesday and didn’t play Thursday.
