Basketball Löwen Braunschweig defeated FIT/One Würzburg Baskets 86-72 on the final matchday of the easyCredit BBL regular season, securing third place. Braunschweig took an early lead (25-21 in the first quarter), but Würzburg led 44-42 at halftime. After a close third quarter (22-20), Braunschweig dominated the fourth (22-8) with a decisive 12-1 run, capped by Arnas Velicka’s dagger three-pointer (82-71). In front of 4,471 fans, including former Löwen Igors Miglinieks and Brandon Thomas, Braunschweig tied their club record of 20 wins (2010/11) and matched their best-ever finish (third, 2002/03).
Sananda Fru (10 points, 10/12 FT, 4 rebounds) and Würzburg’s Hannes Steinbach (12 points, 6/8 FG, 7 rebounds) battled as the league’s top young talents, with Steinbach edging out Fru but fouling out early. Luka Scuka led Braunschweig with 15 points (6/9 FG) and 9 rebounds, while Ferdinand Zylka added 9 points and 8 rebounds. The Löwen excelled at the free-throw line (38/43, 88.4%), outscoring Würzburg by 20 points from the line (18/20). The season’s competitiveness was historic, with two four-way ties (places 4-7 and 9-12), a first in BBL history since 1966/67.
Braunschweig, as the third seed, will face sixth-placed Würzburg—who were without Owen Klassen—in the playoff quarterfinals starting next weekend in a Best-of-Five series. Both teams are now familiar foes, and Würzburg will aim to manage foul trouble, especially for league MVP Jhivvan Jackson, to challenge Braunschweig in the postseason.
