The Niners Chemnitz, a team in the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), advanced to the quarterfinals of the BBL Cup following an impressive performance. Coach Rodrigo Pastore’s team secured a decisive 102–75 (49–31) victory over league rival Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. Ben Burnham led the Saxons in scoring with 24 points. Chemnitz laid the foundation for the victory as early as the first quarter. With two three-pointers and two assists, new signing Ryan Mikesell—who was signed just this week—played a major role in the team’s early 17–6 lead (4th minute). The visitors continued to impress with excellent ball movement and extended their lead to 31–10 by the end of the quarter. By that point, eight Niners players had already gotten on the scoreboard. Even though their shooting percentage dropped off from there, Chemnitz remained firmly in control of the game heading into halftime. After the break, the hosts fought back with a 13-5 run to close the gap to 44-54 (23rd minute), but Chemnitz remained unfazed and quickly re-extended their lead, thanks largely to the accurate shooting of Smith. In the final quarter, the lead grew to as many as 31 points at one point. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
