Ludwigsburg (dpa/lsw) - The basketball players of the MHP giants Ludwigsburg missed the early leap into the second group phase of the Champions League. The Bundesliga team lost to the Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem on Tuesday by 81:87 (45:47) and is in second place in Group E with 3:2 wins behind the guests (4:1).
The Ludwigsburg team now have to win at the Bakken Bears next Tuesday and at the same time hope for a Jerusalem defeat at Darussafaka Istanbul. Only the group winner advances directly to the next round. The second and third must contest a qualifying round to get into the so-called Round of 16.
The game was balanced for a long time. Neither team managed to pull away in the first three quarters. Again and again, Jerusalem around the strong American Zach Hankins responded to good phases in Ludwigsburg. In the final round, the guests rushed and decided the match for themselves.
The best shooters in coach Joshua King's Ludwigsburg team were Prentiss Hubb with 18 points and Isaiah Whitehead with 15 points.
