Barcelona closes game on 0-18 run to defeat Ulm

U18 FC Barcelona opened the 2020-21 Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament season by storming back for a 50-59 victory over U18 ratiopharm Ulm in the first game of the ANGT Valencia. Barcelona, the 2016 continental champion, trailed by 14 points midway through the third quarter and then held Ulm scoreless for the final 9:02 minutes as it went on a 0-18 run to win in Group A. Gael Bonilla collected 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 5 blocks to lead the way. James Nnaji added 8 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks and Agustin Ubal posted 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks for Barcelona. Ulm was paced by Jeremy Sochan with 16 points and 16 rebounds and Jakob Hanzalek had 10 points in the loss.

The opening basket of the tournament was spectacular with Bonilla feeding Nnaji for an alley-oop dunk right off the tip-off. Ulm jumped ahead 8-2 as it kept Barcelona scoreless for nearly 5 minutes. Barcelona held Ulm without a basket the rest of the first quarter with a 2-12 run to lead 11-14 after 10 minutes. After Barcelona moved ahead 11-18, Lenny Liedtke finally scored Ulm’s first basket in 8:33 minutes. Sochan added 5 points for the German side in a 13-5 surge to take lead 24-23. Ulm held a 29-28 edge at the break.

Jacob Ensminger and Sochan both hit three-pointers in a 12-0 Ulm start to the second half for a 41-28 lead. Bonilla tallied Barcelona’s first points after nearly 6 minutes played only to see Sochan hit another triple for a 44-30 cushion. Barcelona answered with the final 11 points of the quarter and trailed 44-41 after 30 minutes. Ulm extended the lead to 50-41 only to see Barcelona punch back with the next 9 points to even the game with 6 minutes left. Neither team scored for 3 minutes before Nnaji’s dunk to put Barcelona ahead 50-52. Bonilla added a three-point play and then along with Nnaji led the defensive effort as Ulm could not score in the final 9 minutes.