Vilseck’s Barkale Johnson puts up a shot over the outstretched hands of Ramstein’s Ky’Ron Hall in a Diviision I semifinal game Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at the DODEA European Basketball Championships. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany – With the largest enrollment in DODEA-Europe and a long tradition of basketball excellence, Ramstein is not used to playing the role of underdog.
Royals boys coach Brendan Rouse doesn’t relish it, either.
But he said it’s true that his team has had its struggles this season.
“All year has been adversity,” he said Friday following his team’s Division I semifinal victory at the DODEA European Basketball Championships. “Adversity in games, adversity in injuries …”
It’s not like the Royals are surprise finalists, though. They were 5-3 in Division I and 9-3 overall during the regular season.
Still, the team they’ll be facing in Saturday’s championship at Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne – unbeaten defending champion Stuttgart – is 17-0. And hasn’t had a remotely close game at the season-ending championships thus far.
Vilseck’s Brandon Goins gets up a shot past Ramstein’s Tyrell Edwards in a Division I semifinal game at the DODEA European Basketball Championships at Wiesbaden, Germany, on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein’s Ky’Ron Hall puts up a shot in the Royals’ Division I semifinal victory over Vilseck at the DODEA European Basketball Championships on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vilseck’s Brandon Goins goes up for a shot while Ramstein’s Kelan Vaughn, left, and Tyrell Edwards defend Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in a Division I semifinal in the DODEA European Basketball Championships at Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein 58, Vilseck 50: The Royals didn’t look like they were going to have much in the way of adversity in Friday’s matchup against the Falcons early on, racing out to a 10-0 advantage to start the game.
But Vilseck, which trailed 24-15 at halftime, never gave up. Barkale Johnson tallied two of his 15 points with 4 minutes, 1 second left in the contest to bring the Falcons within 45-43.
They didn’t get closer, though, as Ramstein scored six straight to regain a bigger cushion.
Tyrell Edwards had 13 points, Ky’Ron Hall 11 and Christian Roy 10 to lead Ramstein, while Vilseck’s Brandon Goins had 20 to top all scorers.
Rouse said Ramstein, which lost 53-40 and 51-43 to the Panthers in early December, needs to stick to what it does best Saturday.
“How are we going to beat them?” he asked. “We stick to our game plan. No matter what, we stick to our game plan.”
Stuttgart’s Alex Guthrie puts up a shot Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in a Division I semifinal game at the DODEA European Basketball Championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden’s Yadier Viera tries a three-point shot Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in a Division I semifinal game at the DODEA European Basketball Championships at Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart’s Jacob Schudel scores against Wiesbaden in a Division I semfinal game Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at the DODEA European Basketball Championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden’s Teagen McConville tries to score while defended by Stuttgart’s Ismael Anglada Paz, left, and Jacob Schudel in a Division I semifinal Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at the DODEA European Basketball Championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart 60, Wiesbaden 29: Panthers coach Christopher Jackson gave the Warriors credit for their effort, agreeing that they seemed to approach the contest with the same level of intensity as Stuttgart – which isn’t always the case.
But that didn’t mean that Wiesbaden wasn’t often a step too slow or failed to execute to the same degree as Stuttgart did.
The Panthers were up 21-9 after one quarter and a barrage of 3-point shots in the second period, including two straight from Ismael Anglada-Paz and a buzzer-beater from Jacob Schudel, effectively sealed the Warriors’ fate.
Tyler Jackson led the Panthers with 15 points and Anglada-Paz added 13. Zion Thompson led Wiesbaden with 10.
Jackson said he expects a strong challenge from Ramstein on Saturday.
“When you play against a team like Ramstein that is tall and physical, you not only have to match their intensity, but you have to do so many other things well,” he said. “Coach Rouse is a friend. We both want to win, but we really just want to see our teams play at their best.”