For the SG Flensburg-Handewitt, this year's DHB Cup has ended with the quarter-finals. They lost 29:35 (14:18) at SC Magdeburg on Thursday evening. The top scorers for the SG were Simon Pytlick and Marko Grgić, who each scored six times.
The opening spell was somewhat sobering. The SG put in a courageous defensive performance and repeatedly pushed SC Magdeburg to the brink of passive play. However, the final action belonged to the home side, who started with astonishing efficiency. They did not miss a single shot in the first ten minutes, giving them an 8:5 advantage. The SG was also dangerous with its backcourt, but not one hundred percent. Aleš Pajović then opted for Lukas Jørgensen in defense to sprinkle in a few offensive variations. Kevin Møller came on early for Benjamin Burić. Magdeburg's flood of goals was stemmed somewhat, but the number of mistakes in attack increased. Kent Robin Tønnesen reduced the deficit with a double strike, but had to be treated for a thigh injury on the bench shortly afterwards. The SG could not get any closer than four goals in the sold-out Getec Arena. Ten seconds before half-time, the ball smacked against the crossbar of the SG box. The visitors ran in another counter-attack, which Lukas Jørgensen finished off to make it 14:18. A result that knew hope was an option.
Hope evaporated after 40 minutes
The chase to catch up continued at the start of the second half. Emil Jakobsen converted from the seven-meter line after just a few seconds. Niclas Kirkeløkke thundered the ball into the net under pressure to make it 17:19. Magdeburg then responded and pulled 23:18 ahead again. The SG now played more often with a 5:1 defensive formation - with Lukas Jørgensen at the point. Too many mistakes crept in at the other end, which the home side punished coldly. Aleš Pajović intervened with the buzzer at 28:21. There were still 17 minutes to play. A turnaround was soon out of the question. It was more a question of cosmetic results and distributing the forces. All three circle players now covered at the same time, while Lasse Møller joined in the attack. The wings were also freshly manned for the final phase. Patrick Volz immediately reduced the deficit to 26:31, but that was as good as it got on the evening. The next game in the DAIKIN HBL will be played on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Göppingen.
