Merlins Crailsheim made short work of Karlsruhe Lions at home on Sunday, running out 91-47 winners in the Pro A. The visitors, sitting second in the table with 28 wins from 34 games, had little trouble with hosts who sit eight places below them and have lost their last two league matches. We backed the away side before kickoff — 59 per cent confidence — and that verdict held water from the opening tip-off.
Carousels started bright enough but the visitors adjusted quickly. Crailsheim grabbed 22 rebounds to the hosts' 14 and that second-ball advantage turned into easy points. The Lions managed just 4 assists all night while the visitors found their rhythm with 10 assists, moving the ball with purpose and punishing Karlsruhe's defensive rotations.
And here's the thing about shooting efficiency — it tells you everything you need to know. Crailsheim hit 16 of 34 field goals and 3 of 11 from three-point range, while the hosts could only manage 7 of 32 and a single successful three-pointer. The visitors also converted 5 of 7 free throws against 7 of 9 for the hosts, closing out the scoring margin without panic.
To be fair, Karlsruhe had threatened earlier in the season. They beat Bayreuth 89-79 just two days ago and were running a tighter ship then. But the marksmanship gap between these two sides is widening, and you could see the visitors hadn't turned on the full throttle yet — not with 28 wins already banked.
The statistics don't lie: 10 assists and 5 steals for Crailsheim against 4 assists and 2 steals for the hosts shows who controlled the tempo. The visitors boxed out, moved the ball, and never let Karlsruhe settle into any kind of rhythm. That's why the scoreline reads 91-47 rather than something tighter.
For Karlsruhe, this drops them further from the playoff picture. They've now lost two in a row after a solid run, and the defensive rebounding numbers — 8 compared to 16 — tell the story of a side being pushed back without recourse. Crailsheim meanwhile strengthen their grip on second place with a convincing statement win.
Final tally: Merlins Crailsheim 91, Karlsruhe Lions 47. The visitors extend their winning streak and keep pressure on the league leaders.
