Shadaja Gamble of Schweinfurt looks for a teammate Saturday. The Lady Razorbacks won their first two games of the season, beating Hohenfels 36-34 Friday and 25-19 Saturday. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
SCHWEINFURT, Germany – The Hohenfels boys and the Schweinfurt girls basketball teams each captured a pair of victories Friday and Saturday, ending a winless start to the season for both teams.
The Hohenfels boys beat the Razorbacks in dramatic fashion with both games needing overtime to decide a winner 71-70 Friday and 63-61 Saturday. The Tigers overcame a 30-point performance Friday by Schweinfurt senior Brandon Wright to capture their first win of the season in nine tries.
Saturday, the Tigers did it again forcing overtime after Lamar Benjamin hit two critical free throws with 15 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime with the score knotted at 52.
Hohenfels outscored Schweinfurt 11-9 in overtime, led by senior Devon Fluker. He was his team’s scoring leader in both games, with 20 and 24 points respectively.
For the Tigers, last years Division II champions, it was about time.
“Its just a big relief to finally get a win,” said Hohenfels senior Xavier Davis Saturday. Davis scored 20 points Saturday and 15 Friday. He also brought in a total of 18 rebounds.
“This is the kick start we really needed to get the season started,” said Gilbert Pinckney, a Hohenfels sophomore. Pinckney finished with a double-double for the second straight game after scoring 15 points and bringing in 10 rebounds Saturday. He had 12 points and 10 rebounds in Friday’s action.
In the girls action, points were scarce as neither team reached double-digits in any of the quarters Saturday. Tasia Golson of Hohenfels was the only player to reach 10 points in the game. She also brought in nine rebounds for the Lady Tigers.
The Razorbacks, however, got their first victories of the season, outscoring Hohenfels 25-19 Saturday and 36-34 Friday.
The difference maker, according to Julie Heintz, Schweinfurt’s head coach, was the ability of her team’s defense to communicate and bring in key rebounds. Something she says they have been working on all season.
Tricia Valverde, Ashley Leach and Diandra Quashie combined for 22 rebounds in Saturday’s game and led the defense.
“We definitely improved our overall skills as a team – it was nice to get two wins,” Heintz said.
Schweinfurt hosts Bamberg next weekend and Hohenfels will host Patch.