- Matchup: Telekom Baskets Bonn – Science City Jena
- Result: 92:64 (48:36)
- Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026
- Top Scorer Jena: Joe Wieskamp (17 points)
- Key Statistic: 22 turnovers by Jena
Jena (08.02.2026) – It was the expectedly difficult journey to the third-placed team, which ended in a clear defeat for Science City Jena on Saturday evening. In a match that remained much closer for long stretches than the final score of 64:92 suggests, the Thuringians ultimately paid the price against the experienced Telekom Baskets Bonn. In the final quarter particularly, the city on the Saale ran out of steam.
Collapse after strong comeback
The team led by head coach Björn Harmsen initially started solidly in the match on the Hardtberg. Until the fifth minute, Jena kept the game completely open at 14:14, showing no respect for the favorites. However, what followed was symptomatic of the entire game: a phase of lack of concentration allowed the hosts to pull away to 37:20 by the end of the first quarter.
Anyone who thought the game was already over was mistaken. In the second quarter, Science City showed character. With a 6:0 run, the Thuringians fought their way back into the encounter, at times reducing the deficit to ten points. The teams went into the halftime break with a hopeful score of 36:48 from Jena’s perspective.
Jena remained persistent after the restart. The emotional highlight for the guests was a dunk by Alex Herrera in the 28th minute, which narrowed the score to 53:59. At that moment, an upset was in the air. But the response from Bonn was merciless: with a 14:0 run just before and at the start of the final quarter, the hosts crushed all the visitors’ hopes. Bonn played themselves into a frenzy, while Jena’s strength faded.
The Statistics: 22 turnovers are too many
When analyzing the reasons for the final 28-point gap, one number stands out: 22 turnovers. Against a top team like Telekom Baskets Bonn, which punishes mistakes cold-bloodedly, this rate is fatal. Each of these turnovers not only deprived Jena of scoring opportunities but also often allowed Bonn easy points on the fast break.
While Bonn impressed with their depth, with five players scoring in double digits, Science City’s offense rested on few shoulders. The bright spot of the evening was Joe Wieskamp, who became his team’s top scorer with 17 points. He kept the offense alive for a long time but could not withstand the physical defense of the Rhinelanders alone in the long run.
Conclusion and Outlook
For coach Björn Harmsen, it was clear even before tip-off that Bonn would represent one of the toughest challenges of the season. The way Jena kept up for almost three quarters shows the team’s potential. At the same time, the final quarter relentlessly exposed what is still missing: consistency over 40 minutes and ball security under high pressure.
In the table, Bonn remains firmly anchored in third place, while Jena must quickly move past this defeat. The positive phases, especially the comeback before halftime and in the third quarter, should serve as a basis for the upcoming training week. Now, the goal is to minimize the error rate to secure points again in the coming matches.
We wish Science City a safe journey home and injury-free preparation for the next game.