Ramstein's Danica Johnson gets up a shot that Kaiserslautern's Olivia Ikka gets her hands on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany – The Stuttgart Panthers boys basketball team didn’t exactly fill up the highlight reel Wednesday when it came to offense on the opening day of the DODEA European Division I championships.
But their opponents in two contests had even fewer clips. Because Stuttgart, the tournament’s second seed, did show off some defensive chops.
The Panthers opened with a 45-40 victory over third-seeded Ramstein.
“Defense definitely sets the tone for us,” Stuttgart senior guard Kurt Flores said after the victory. “We play offense first and defense second. This was a big win for us. It sets the tone for the tournament.”
Flores proved prophetic, at least in terms of Wednesday. The Panthers were worse on offense later in the day in a 34-21 triumph over Vilseck. But even tougher on defense.
Flores led his team with 14 points in that contest after tallying 11 – including 10 of his team’s 15 points in the fourth quarter in the opener against the Royals. Adrian Anglada Paz led the team with 12.
It was business as usual for the rest of the boys games.
Top-seeded Wiesbaden only played once, but earned a comfortable 54-38 victory over Kaiserslautern behind 23 points from Jodel Oduwu, 11 from Elijah Kidd and 10 from Michael Tate.
And Vilseck scored 18 straight points between the second and third quarters to top Lakenheath 49-42. Jeremiah Dorff had 18 points for the Falcons.
Kaiserslautern's Garrett Vitter throws down a dunk Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe boys Division I basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern's Omarah Butler tries to put up a shot while guarded by Wiesbaden's Clara-Isabel Curtis at the DODEA-Europe girls Division I basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Lakenheath's Jaron Granderson tries to put up a shot Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, while guarded by Vilseck's Kerrion Sulllivan at the DODEA-Europe boys Division I basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Lakenheath's Annabella Potenzone puts up a scoop shot Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe girls Division I basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart's Kurt Flores shoots Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe boys Division I basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
There wasn’t much suspense in the girls tournament, with every game decided by double digits.
Second-seeded Ramstein came out on top of both its contests, topping Kaiserslautern 30-17 and Wiesbaden 50-30. Jaivionne Jones and Feliciana Davis each had 13 points for the Royals in the later contest and Aaryanna Guishard added 11.
The host Warriors had opened the day by getting past Lakenheath 44-24. The Lancers only scored two points in the second quarter. They rallied to trail 31-22 after three quarters, but the Warriors again held their opponent to only two points in the final frame.
In the other contest, No. 1 ranked Stuttgart pulled away from Vilseck 38-26. Alicia Wiggins had five straight points while the game was still in doubt in the final quarter to spur the Panthers.
Pool play continues Thursday at Wiesbaden High School in both tournaments, with the top four teams advancing to Friday semifinals.
Ramstein's Rhett Dalling gets up a shot before Stuttgart's Ben Osman can get to it Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe boys Division I basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vilseck's Khyleel Grimes tries to score Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe boys Division I basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden's Elijah Kidd takes advantage of the attention paid to Joel Idowu, left, to take a shot from outside Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe boys Division I basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden's Camilla McGill shoots Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe girls Division I basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
