BG Göttingen defeated the Rostock Seawolves 88-85 on the final matchday of the easyCredit BBL regular season, bowing out of the top league with a win despite relegation. Göttingen led 30-26 after the first quarter and 53-45 at halftime, but Rostock fought back in the third (8-14). The fourth quarter (27-26) was a thriller: At 85-86 with seconds remaining, Rostock’s Robin Amaize missed two crucial free throws, while Collin Welp sealed the win for Göttingen with his free throws. Rostock, despite the loss, secured 10th place and a spot in the Play-Ins, while Göttingen descends to the second division with three wins—more than the last relegated team, Tübingen, in 2017/18 (1 win).
Collin Welp emerged as Player of the Game with 25 points (8/12 FG), including 14 in the final 6:23 minutes and four clutch three-pointers, setting a new career high. Göttingen’s Kostja Mushidi added 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists (career-high), while Rostock’s Bryce Hamilton scored 27 points and Amaize managed 9 points in his comeback. Göttingen dominated offensive rebounds (11 to 6), scoring 17-8 on second-chance points. The game highlighted the season’s historic competitiveness: Places 4-7 and 9-12 ended in four-way ties, a first in BBL history since 1966/67.
Rostock now heads to Oldenburg for the Play-Ins, needing two wins to reach the playoffs, though still without D’Shawn Schwartz and Dominic Lockhart. Göttingen, under interim coach Kenneth Desloovere, will rebuild in the second division, with Mushidi (17.3 points over the last six games) likely attracting first-league interest.
