Butler, Babb lead Ulm to home win over Bayern

In an all-German showdown in Group G, ratiopharm Ulm left the 2015-16 Eurocup in style by downing FC Bayern Munich 74-65 at home on Wednesday. Ulm was already eliminated and Bayern was mathematically first in Group G once Banvit Bandirma defeated Dominion Bilbao Basket earlier on. Bayern will now face archrivals ALBA Berlin in the Eurocup eighthfinals. De'Sean Butler led the winners with 15 points. Chris Babb added 13, Carlon Brown had 11 while Pierria Henry dished 8 assists for Ulm. Anton Gavel led Bayern with 17 points. Maxi Kleber added 13 while Deon Thompson had 10 for the guests. Ulm opened the game with a 10-3 run, extended its margin to 24-7 after 10 minutes and then again to 44-26 at halftime. Nothing really changed after the break, as Ulm cruised to a well-deserved win, its last one in this year's Eurocup.

Babb got Ulm going with a triple and David Brembly soon gave the hosts a 5-0 lead. Gavel struck from downtown but Butler and Babb boosted Ulm's margin to 10-3. Justin Cobbs scored off a steal but a three-pointer by Henry made Bayern call timeout at 13-5. Brembly scored again and a big triple by Butler broke the game open, 18-5. John Bryant tried to change things for Bayern but three-pointers by a red hot Babb and Brown gave Ulm a 24-7 lead after 10 minutes. Philipp Neumann found his first points early in the second quarter and a put-back basket by Brown boosted the hosts' lead to 28-7. Gavel hit his second triple and Thompson brought Bayern a bit closer, 28-12. Augustine Rubit joined Ulm's three-point shootout and Brown scored again for a 33-12 score. Alex Renfroe stepped up with a put-back basket and Kleber brought Bayern within 36-19. Babb scored again and Henry added free throws but Kleber kept pacing Bayern with a three-point play. Raymar Morgan and David Kraemer allowed Ulm to get a 44-26 margin at halftime.

Kleber struck from downtown immediately after the break and Renfroe kept Bayern within 46-31. Butler stepped up for Ulm but Gavel nailed a triple for a 48-34 score. Ulm improved its defense while Brown and Butler kept their team way ahead, 52-34. Thompson and Paul Zipser stepped up with consecutive baskets but an unstoppable Butler answered with 5 quick points for a 55-36 Ulm lead. Zipser scored again and Gavel followed a basket with free throws to bring Bayern witghin 57-42. Neumann and Gavel exchanged foul shots and a buzzer-beating basket by Cobbs made it a 13-point game, 59-46, after 30 minutes. Gavel scored again early in the fourth quarter and free throws by Zipser brought Bayern within single digits, 59-50. Per Guenther rescued Ulm with a three-pointer and Babb also struck from downtown to stop Bayern's comeback, 65-50, with 6 minutes left. Thompson and Bryant kept trying to change things for Bayern but the guests only managed to exchanged baskets for a while. Brembly and Joschka Ferner helped Ulm seal the outcome, 73-54, long before the final buzzer.