MANNHEIM, Germany – Behind 12 points each from Erica Turner and Courtney Talka, the Kaiserslautern Lady Raiders upset the top-seeded and previously unbeaten Patch Lady Panthers 58-47 Friday night in a Division I semifinal game at the 2010 DODDS-Europe high school basketball championships.
The victory advanced third-seeded K-town to Saturday’s 6 p.m. girls’ Division I championship game against No. 2 Wiesbaden. The Lady Warriors prevailed 35-26 over No. 4 Ramstein in Friday night’s other girls’ semifinal.
For the fourth straight year, Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. boys’ D-I title game pits Ramstein against Heidelberg. Ramstein, the top seed and defending champion, ousted No. 3 Patch 73-65 in its Friday-night semi as senior All-Europe guard Dillon Wadsack burned the Panthers for 31 points; No. 2 Heidelberg bounced No. 4 International School of Brussels 64-47.
Division II girls: In the Division II girls semifinals, top-seeded Bamberg ensured that there will be no repeat girls champions this year by eliminating defending champ Aviano 41-32 in one of two late Friday games. Ansbach, the sixth seed, topped No. 4 Mannheim, 42-39, and will play Bamberg for the title at noon Saturday.
In games completed just before deadline, defending champion Aviano beat Bamberg 72-60 in one D-II boys semifinal and Hohenfels dropped No. 5 Ansbach 58-49 in the other semifinal. They will play for the championship at 1:30 p.m.
Bamberg, behind 30 points from 6-foot-1 pivot Racquel Davis and a distracting full-court press, sent Aviano to join 2009 champs Heidelberg of Division I and small schools winner Rota on the sidelines when the championship games are played.
Thirty points isn’t unusual for the talented Davis, who demonstrated more than a little clutch play down the stretch, sinking five of eight free throws in the final period and playing everywhere on the court.
"I’m normally a post player," Davis said, "but tonight we needed help for our guards, so I went out there, too."
In addition to bringing the ball up court much of the time near the end, Davis spent more time flat on the floor than her coaches might have found comfortable. Most of the fouls committed against her ended with her on the floor, and after one decking, she had to be helped to her feet and off the floor by Bamberg coach Alan McElheney. Davis, however, returned to action almost immediately.
"We both wanted that game," Davis said of the hard fouls.
Bamberg and Ansbach are Region III rivals. Bamberg won 60-28 and 51-39 verdicts during the regular season.
In Division II quarterfinals:
Bamberg boys 63, Mannheim 49: Senior Danny Kieser scored 27 points as the No. 3 Barons eliminated the home team and earned their shot at top-seeded Aviano in the semifinals later in the day.
"I like playing the games so close together, Kieser said of the near back-to back scheduling of the quarters and semifinals. "It gives you a chance to warm up and get in the game."
Kenny Conlan led Mannheim with 15 points.
Aviano boys 49, AFNORTH 29: Aviano held No. 9 AFNORTH to just three third-quarter field goals en route to the decisive victory. "We played a good game," said Aviano’s Shaheed Seaton, who scored a game-high 19 points, "but we didn’t play to our fullest potential."
If not, they mounted a fair approximation of what they’re capable of doing behind 10 first-half points from All-Europe guard Jamal Tuck, who finished with 15 points, and a defense that was more than grudging.
"At Aviano, we work on defense," Seaton said. "Coach (Ken) McNeeley is always on us to hold onto the ball and play fundamental basketball. I live by that every
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Admission to the Sports Arena on championship Saturday is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Children aged 5 and younger are admitted free. The Mannheim fire marshal prohibits re-entry into the Sports Arena without the purchase of a new ticket.
The D-I boys’ game will be the last of six consecutive title games Saturday in the Sports Arena, a series which begins at noon with the girls’ D-II finale. All six games are to be telecast live on the AFN Pentagon Channel and streamed live on the Internet at www.afneurope.net.
