Balanced Hagen get revenge on Ulm, move into Quarter-Finals

Two-time champions Phoenix Hagen exacted some revenge on ratiopharm ulm with a 107-98 victory on the road in the Round of 16 of the Netto BBL Pokal German Cup. Hagen, who won the title in 1975 as SSV Hagen and in 1994 as Brandt Hagen, used a big third quarter run to take control and never gave it up again. Tyler Polley paced six Hagen players in double figures with 18 points while Patricio Garino added 17 points and Bjarne Kraushaar chipped in 17 points and 6 assists. The 1996 champions Ulm have now been eliminated at the Round of 16 in five of the last seasons - losing to FC Bayern Basket in the 2024 Final. Michael Rataj and Ibi Watson both scored 22 points in the loss. 

Turning Point: After 14 lead changes in the first half, Ulm were leading 49-45 when Hagen put together a 16-3 run to take a nine point lead midway through the third quarter. Ulm did manage to trim the deficit to two points early in the fourth quarter but Hagen punched back and led by nine points again with 6 minutes to go. And the visitors hit one big shot after the next for the win. 

Duel in focus: We didn't get the anticipated showdown of Michael Rataj from the hosts and Fabian Bleck. Rataj showed up in style with 22 points and 4 assists while Bleck did not play in the game.

Numbers Please: Hagen shot 55 percent for the game, hitting 62 percent on two pointers and 47 percent from long range. The visitors also committed only 10 turnovers.

Player of the Game: Tyler Polley was big all game for Hagen with 22 points - hitting 4 of 5 three-pointers - while grabbing 4 rebounds - 3 from the offensive glass. Polley also had 1 steal in the win. 

The Germans: Bjarne Kraushaar had an argument for player of the game as the Hagen point guard collected 17 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists while Tim Uhlemann chipped in 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. At the other end, Michael Rataj poured in 22 points to go with 2 rebounds and 4 assists while Marvin Heckel added 3 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists. 

A long time coming for Hagen against Ulm: Ulm had won 11 of the 16 previous matchups since 2009-10 including the last five games. Hagen's last victory over Ulm came on November 1, 2014. The most recent loss came just three weeks ago when Ulm spoiled Hagen's first home game in the Bundesliga in 3,590 days with a  93-78 victory.

A long time coming for Polite: The game in Ulm had to be an emotional moment for Anthony Polite. The Hagen forward played his first game since May 12, 2024 while he was playing with Rio Breogan against Murcia in the Spanish ACB. The Swiss wing finished the game with 8 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist in 12 minutes of action.  

In street clothes: Hagen were without Marcus Graves and Marvin Omuvwie while Ulm were playing the game without Mohamed Diakite and Teo Milicic.

What's Up Next: The draw for the Quarter-Finals of the Netto BBL Pokal German Cup will take place on Monday evening, following the final Round of 16 game between Berlin and Bamberg. It will be broadcast live here on Dyn. The draw will be conducted by Patrick Femerling, Germany’s most-capped international basketball player, with 221 appearances for the national team.

Video: Highlights of this game will be available soon on Dyn's website or on the YouTube channels of Dyn and the easyCredit BBL.

Anmerkung: In der Saison 2026/27 werden wie hier auch gelegentlich Nachberichte in englischer Sprache verfasst.
Note: During the 2026-27 season, there will occasionally be game reports published in English.