Ramstein's Ky'Ron Hall, left, knocks the ball away from Wiesbaden point guard Jordan Thibodeaux during a Dec. 17, 2024, game at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Wiesbaden just couldn’t get over the hump against Ramstein for two and a half quarters on Tuesday evening.

The Warriors trailed by as many as eight early in the second half, and despite tying the game or pulling within a basket twice, they watched as the Royals responded to make it a three-possession game again.

In the fourth quarter, though, Wiesbaden finally broke through. The Warriors dropped 22 points to rally for a 61-55 victory over the Royals at Ramstein High School.

“Shooting, defense, rebounding, everything just clicked,” Wiesbaden center Joel Idowu said. “When all five of us are on the court, doing what we’re supposed to do, our roles, we can’t be beat, we can’t be stopped.”

The win marked another big road test passed by the Warriors (5-0, 5-0).

Wiesbaden opened the season with a sweep over two-time defending champion Stuttgart. A week and a half later, the Warriors took care of business against the two-time runner-up Ramstein (3-1, 3-1).

“This isn’t our house, and we got to take care of business,” Wiesbaden’s Jordan Thibodeaux said. “We know what we’re capable of this year, and if we keep working, it’ll pay off in February.”

Tuesday’s contest showed Wiesbaden could overcome foul trouble to a key player. Thibodeaux picked up his third foul with 49 seconds left in the first quarter on a charge, and the senior point guard sat out the rest of the half.

The Warriors produced a five-point possession to start the second frame. It began with a Jacob Idowu drive and an and-one, which was missed and rebounded by Joel Idowu, and ended when Jonah Harvey found Zion Thompson for a 3-pointer to tie it at 16-16.

Ramstein center Kelan Vaughn slams a dunk during the second half of the Royals' game on Dec. 17, 2024, against Wiesbaden at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden's Joel Idowu shoots from beyond the arc between Ramstein defenders Awwab Noble, center left, and Rhett Dalling, center right, during a Dec. 17, 2024, game at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden's Teagan McConville looks to pass the ball against Ramstein defenders, from left, Kelan Vaughn, Michael Gonzales and Matteo Jones during a Dec. 17, 2024, game at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden's Joel Idowu and Ramstein's Amari Guishard battle under the basket during a Dec. 17, 2024, game at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's Christian Roy tries to throw the low into the low block around Wiesbaden's Jacob Idowu during a Dec. 17, 2024, game at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's Ky'Ron Hall shoots during a Dec. 17, 2024, game against Wiesbaden at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

A Royal surge followed, and the Warriors kept it close until the break.

In the fourth quarter, the visiting team dominated.

It wasn’t just starters such as Thibodeaux, who dropped seven of his 18 points in the frame, or Jacob Idowu, who added seven of his game-high 19 points, making their marks. Ben Cashen came off the bench to drain two 3-pointers – his only points of the game.

The Warriors produced a 9-0 run over the first 1:54 of the period, taking a 48-45 lead. The visitors never looked back from that point.

“It’s just the camaraderie that we have with our group of guys,” said Jacob Idowu, who helped keep Wiesbaden afloat in the second quarter with six points. “I feel like we have the chemistry to play well without anybody on our team.”

Thibodeaux credited the Idowu brothers, who transferred this year from Hohenfels, for being the missing pieces on the team, and it showed on both ends of the floor.

While Jacob had to take up more ballhandling duties along with Harvey and others off the bench, Joel had his hands full against the height Ramstein possesses.

The sophomore was tasked with Kelan Vaughn and Michael Gonzales to mixed results. Vaughn scored six points in the first 5 and a half minutes of the game and on back-to-back possessions in the final minute of the third quarter – including a two-handed dunk. Gonzales chipped in with nine points but didn’t score after right before the third-quarter buzzer.

“They got multiple bigs,” said Joel Idowu, who recorded a double-double of 10 points and 18 rebounds. “When one goes out, one comes in, and that can be a hard thing. I go hard every time and be physical with them.”

Ramstein coach Brendan Rouse wasn’t too concerned by the loss. In fact, he called it just what the doctor ordered right before the winter break, as the Royals recognize where they need to improve.

Awwab Noble paced Ramstein for 13 points, while Ky’Ron Hall and Vaughn contributed 10 points each.

“It is perfect for us,” Rouse said of facing Wiesbaden. “We needed this. Right here is a good test for us. It’s a wake-up call.”

The Warriors, meanwhile, enter the holidays on a high, but they aren’t getting too ahead of themselves.

“No championship is won in December,” Wiesbaden coach David Brown said. “I’ve been the best in December a lot of years. I want to be best in February.”