Wiesbaden's Gwen Icanberry dribbles as Ramstein's Brayln Jones defends during Tuesday evening's game at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. The Warriors won, 48-46. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany — Lyndsey Urick needed a pick-me-up during Wiesbaden’s showdown with Ramstein on Tuesday evening.
The 6-foot-5 center struggled for much of the game, having not scored until the fourth quarter at Wiesbaden High School. That came despite numerous occasions in which Urick grabbed multiple offensive boards, only to miss each put-back attempt.
In crunch time, however, Urick received an inbound pass in the paint and made the game-winning bucket with 8 seconds left in the Warriors’ 48-46 victory over the Royals.
“After the three putbacks and missing, I’m glad I made that one because that’s the one that counted,” Urick said.
It was a big basket for the Warriors (14-1, 10-1), not only because it won them the game and gave them a one-game lead in the Division I standings over the Royals (12-2, 9-2).
Wiesbaden coach Kristin Kachmar emphasized the confidence boost it gave Urick, who corralled 19 rebounds — including nine on the offensive glass.
“If she doesn’t make that, I don’t think that we win,” Kachmar said. “That was clutch. For my senior, 6-5 center to do that, that’s who I want, that’s who I’m going to count on when it comes down to it.”
Urick’s last-second heroics almost didn’t come to be.
Ramstein's Aliya Jones prepares to go for a layup while Wiesbaden's Gwen Icanberry, left, and Brandi Stanford defend in the first quarter of Tuesday's game at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. The Warriors took first palce outright in Division I with a 48-46 victory. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
The Royals took a 32-22 lead with 1:20 remaining in the quarter following a Solymar Brown jumper, capping off an 11-1 run over a three-and-a-half-minute span. Ramstein hadn’t trailed since the 1:59 mark in the first quarter and had led since the 5:13 mark in the second frame when Alysha Edwards scored in the post.
The game flipped over 56 seconds, though.
It started at the 1:02 mark in the third when Gweny Icanberry found McKinley Viers open outside the arc, and the senior, who finished with 15 points, drained a 3-pointer. On the Warriors’ next possession, Icanberry once again found a wide-open teammate, this time Brandi Stanford for a 3 with 25 seconds left in the frame. Stanford followed that basket with a steal, and the freshman guard took it the other way for a layup with 6 seconds remaining.
At the end of the spurt, Wiesbaden found itself back in a one-possession game at 32-30.
“We had to do something, considering the score,” said Stanford, who totaled a game-high 17 points. “It just seemed like the right time.”
The importance of that run didn’t escape the Wiesbaden coach, who saw it as a major test heading into the European championships next week in the Kaiserslautern Military Community.
“I purposefully didn’t call a timeout just to see how they would react,” Kachmar said. “We haven’t been in that situation yet this season. I kind of wanted to see what would happen.
“I’m proud that they didn’t give up on themselves, and they did what they needed to do.”
Ramstein's Alysha Edwards tries to dribble in the paint during the Royals' game Tuesday evening at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. Defending, from left, as the Warriors' Natalia Berdorf, Brandi Stanford and Lyndsey Urick. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Despite the loss, the Royals left Wiesbaden with a sense of confidence.
Ramstein improved upon a 10-point loss earlier this season at home, and they did it without starter Jasmine Jones. The Royals also managed to respond to everything the Warriors threw at them in the fourth quarter as both squads went back and forth until the last possession, when the away side didn’t get a shot off.
Leading the way for the Royals were Katya Von Eicken with 16 points and eight rebounds and Bralyn Jones, who had 10 points – including six in the fourth quarter – and eight boards.
“I think we had an excellent game plan,” Ramstein assistant coach Kevin Smith said. “We executed it for the most part. It’s a game of runs, and they made their run toward the end and were able to sustain it, and we didn’t make a big enough run to get back on top.”
The win puts Wiesbaden atop the standings heading into the regular season’s final weekend. That fact was not lost on the Warriors after the game.
“This was our team we needed to beat,” Stanford said. “So, we’re excited to beat them.”
Wiesbaden’s McKinley Viers, right, and Ramstein’s Alysha Edwards fight for the ball on the baseline during the first quarter of Tuesday’s game at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Girls
Wiesbaden 48, Ramstein 46
Tuesday at Wiesbaden
Ramstein | 13 | 9 | 10 | 14 | _46 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wiesbaden | 11 | 4 | 15 | 18 | _48 |
Scorers – Ramstein: Katya Von Eicken 16, Bralyn Jones 10, Alysha Edwards 5, Solymar Brown 4, Rachel Sorenson 2, Parker Ingram 2; Wiesbaden: Brandi Stanford 17, McKinley Viers 15, Lyndsey Urick 6, Gwen Icanberry 4, Rania Aldubaini 4, Natalia Bergdorf 4, Kayla Rhum 2. Noteworthy – Urick had 19 rebounds, Icanberry had 6 boards, Bergdorf had 5 rebounds and Viers had 5 steals for the Warriors. Von Eicken, Ingram and Edwards each had 8 rebounds, while Ingram had 5 steals for the Royals.
Boys
Ramstein 68, Wiesbaden 38
Tuesday at Ramstein
Scorers - Wiesbaden: Jordan Thibodeaux 19, Malloy Antinok 4, Colin Moore 4, Nigel Rodriguez 3, Gavid DeLuca 3, Collin Kuschnik 3, Yadier Viera 2; Ramstein: Israel Rouse 17, Bryson Bishop 13, Jaden Guerra 11, Ky’Ron Hall 9, Dominic Brooks 5, Timar Dix 4, Braden Laidlaw 3, Jayvian Jennings 2, Samuel Udoaka 2, Gonzales Michael 2.