This Sunday, NXTGEN hosted the Preliminary Group B of the Saxony Championship in Leipzig. This was the first tournament the NXTGEN team participated in ahead of their trip to Prague in April. Despite missing a few key players due to injury and other circumstances, the goal was clear: qualify for the Final Four.
The first game of the day was between Chemnitz Niners Academy and Uniriesen. The game was essentially decided in the first half, with USC dominating in steals, rebounds, and scoring. An impressive 30-point performance by NBBL and Regional league player Nathan Westphal sealed USC’s victory.
Next up, the NXTGEN boys faced a determined Niners team fighting to stay in the competition. That determination was evident in the first quarter, as the Niners applied a full-court press that immediately put NXTGEN on the back foot. The number of turnovers highlighted how effective the Niners‘ pressure was, as they ended the first quarter with an 18-point lead.
It would take a shift in momentum to claw back points if NXTGEN was to salvage what had been a disappointing start. The spark came from Magnus Fabian, who began to take control of the boards. Most of his 16 points came from offensive rebounds. The rest of the team tapped into that energy and rallied behind the fightback in the second quarter. NXTGEN went on to win all three remaining quarters, finishing the game with a 74:65 victory—securing their place in the Final Four on March 8.
Exhausted after the Niners game, NXTGEN still had to face USC in the third and final game of the day. The pre-game locker room talk was simple: knowing they had already qualified for the Final Four and recognizing the physical toll the previous game had taken, I instructed the boys to focus on two things—keep Nathan Westphal out of the game and enjoy playing.
USC dominated most of the game, and while the boys aimed to have fun, they struggled to maintain the same physical intensity from their first match. However, an outstanding defensive performance came from Erik Richter, who guarded Westphal so effectively that he had his lowest-scoring game of the season. For the first time in a youth league game this season, he scored below 20 points and went scoreless in the first quarter.
Despite the loss, the boys remained upbeat, proud that two Leipzig teams had qualified for the Final Four. A huge thank you to all the teams that participated in the first round and to the City of Leipzig for the venue. Special appreciation goes to Leipzig Lakers Youth Director Lukas Gröger for organizing the event and to everyone who helped set up the venue and buffet. Lastly, a big thanks to all the supporters who contributed to making this tournament a success.
Next up: The Final Four on March 8 with Dresden Titans, BC Dresden, USC and NXTGEN.
