LACEY LOWDOWN

Tai Webster and Isaac Fotu are about to board a flight back to New Zealand to join up with their Tall Blacks teammates for the World Cup qualifying fixture against Korea on Thursday in Wellington and it will be Fotu who will be the happier as they settle in for the long haul from Frankfurt.

The Tall Blacks forward and his Ratiopharm Ulm team sprung something of a surprise beating the more fancied Frankfurt Skyliners, with Tai Webster at the helm, in their German Bundesliga encounter on Saturday night.

The Skyliners entered the game with a superior 6-3 record and actually led Ulm 59-58 entering the final quarter.

However a blistering last quarter from the visitors, won 31-16, propelled Ulm to the win and improved their record to 5-5. Fotu, with an efficient 10 points (5 from 7 from the field) was one of four of his team in double figures.

Webster scored just the four points but demonstrated his all court ability by leading the Skyliners’ rebounding with 7 boards and also dished 5 assists.

Both players have been in good form this season. In his first season in the professional ranks, since graduating from the University of Nebraska, Webster is averaging 13 points, 4.3 rebounds and a team high 4.3 assists per game.

Fotu, who moved to Ulm this season, after playing three years in the Spanish League, is averaging 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds for the regular season defending champions.

The pair are expected to arrive in Auckland late Monday before linking with the rest of the Tall Blacks squad on Tuesday morning in Wellington.

Tai Webster and Isaac Fotu will share a flight back to New Zealand at the weekend as they look to assemble with their Tall Blacks teammates for the World Cup qualifying fixture against Korea.

Before boarding the flight in Frankfurt the pair will be on opposite sides as Webster’s Frankfurt Skyliners entertain Fotu’s Ratiopharm Ulm in a German Bundesliga game.

Last weekend the Skyliners lost their third game of the campaign going down 75-67 at Brose to slip to fifth on the league table with a 6-3 record.

Webster was once again in fine form top scoring in the game with 19 points to go with 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

Ulm (4-5) are up to tenth on the ladder after an 88-77 home win against Braunschweig with Fotu scoring 9 points on 4 from 8 shooting.

Good news also from Israel where Corey Webster led all scorers with 22 points as Ironi Nahariya defeated Maccabi Haifa 83-73 with Nahariya improving to 4-2 for the season.

In other news former Tall Blacks swingman Dion Prewster has also headed to Germany, signing with Uni Baskets Paderborn.

Paderborn competes in the Pro-A League, the equivalent of the German second division.

It was also announced recently that Prewster has signed for the Bay Hawks for the 2018 NZNBL season after playing for Nelson Giants in 2017.

Just six weeks into his professional basketball career Tai Webster put up some stunning numbers for Frankfurt Skyliners as they beat Oldenburg 93-82 in the German Bundesliga at the weekend.

Webster put together the best performance to date of his young pro career scoring 31 points, snaring 11 rebounds – including 3 offensive boards – and added 4 assists, a steal and a block in a terrific all court game.

His shooting stats were highly impressive connecting with all three attempts from beyond the arc as he netted 7 from 11 from the field and a tidy 8 from 10 free throws.

The win improves Skyliners to 6-2 for the season and keeps them in second place on the ladder.

Also in Germany Ratiopharm Ulm improved their record to 3-5 with a second successive win downing Tigers Tuebingen 81-74.

Isaac Fotu scored an efficient 8 points to go with 4 rebounds for Ulm. The Tall Blacks forward didn’t miss a shot scoring with all four freebies and both shots from the floor.

Not such good news from Israel where Corey Webster scored just two points as Ironi Nahariya were thumped 97-73 at Gilboa Galil.

Nahariya are 3-2 for the season.

Corey Webster celebrated being named in the Tall Blacks squad for the upcoming international fixture against Korea with a game high 23 point as Ironi Nahariya beat Bnei Hertzeliya 95-82 in the Israeli League.

Webster shot the three ball particularly well connecting with 4 from 8 attempts taking his season tally in four games to 15 from 29 at an impressive 52%.

Nahariya move to 3-1 in the early stages of the season.

In Germany Frankfurt Skyliners lost just their second game of the season going down 72-60 to Bayern Munich. Tai Webster scored 9 points in the defeat as the Skyliners slip to 5-2 for the season but still remain in the top three in the Bundesliga.

Also in Germany Ratiopharm Ulm had a much needed win beating Eisbaeren Bremerhaven 85-77 to improve their record to 2-5.

Isaac Fotu only scored two points but he was a major presence at the defensive end for Ulm snaring 9 rebounds and 3 steals.

Despite a career high 26 points from Isaac Fotu, Ratiopharm Ulm stumbled to its fifth German League defeat of the season going down 98-83 at Oldenburg.

Fotu put together an impressive shooting display knocking down 10 from 12 shots from the field including both his efforts from beyond the three point arc. He was also 100% from the foul line hitting all four freebies.

Ulm is now 1-5 in the Bundesliga, a hugely disappointing start for last season’s regular season champions.

Corey Webster had an equally impressive display in the Israeli League scoring 21 points including 5 from 9 from the land of plenty as Ironi Nahariya came away from Hapoel Eilat with the spoils, winning 86-72.

Not content with a handy points haul the Tall Blacks shooting guard dished a game high 8 assists as Nahariya move to 2-1 in the early stages of the season.

Back in Germany, Frankfurt Skyliners picked up win number five with a tight 72-68 victory against Bayreuth.

Tai Webster had a quiet outing by his recent standards scoring just 8 points as the Skyliners improve to 5-1 for the campaign.

There were wins for both Webster brothers in Europe at the weekend plus Euro Cup success for Isaac Fotu.

Frankfurt Skyliners have made an encouraging start in the German League. Its latest success, a 78-71 victory against Braunschweig, has given the Skyliners a 3-1 start to the season.

Kiwi guard Tai Webster is travelling well for the Skyliners averaging 12 points and 5.5 assists per game. In an impressive display against Braunschweig Webster scored 16 points and added 3 rebounds, 5 assists and a pair of steals.

It was also a good weekend In Israel for brother Corey who dished a game high 7 assists as Ironi Nahariya defeated Hapoel, Tel Aviv 102-87.

Webster senior also landed three from six triples on his way to 15 points as Nahariya moved to 1-1 after a loss in the opening round of the season.

Interestingly the shooting guard’s bio on the Nahariya website describes the 28-year old as a first year pro ignoring the fact that he played eight seasons for the Breakers.

Isaac Fotu and his new German club Ratiopharm Ulm are still awaiting a first League win after going down 92-87 at Jenna. Fotu provided 10 points (5/8FG), 7 rebounds and 3 assists but it wasn’t enough to get Ulm the win as they slip to 0-4.

Better news came in the EuroCup midweek fixture as Ulm proved too good for Turkish side Tofas Bursa beating its Group D opponents 83-73 with a dominant 28-11 final quarter showing.

Fotu contributed 5 rebounds and 10 points in the home win.