St Pauli make statement after clinching title at FIBA 3x3 Mugunghwa Challenger 2024

MUGUNGHWA (Korea) - Excitement machine St Pauli (GER) claimed their first title of the season to make a major statement at the FIBA 3x3 Mugunghwa Challenger 2024 on October 12-13.

Here's what happened in the 20th Challenger of the season.

The winner: St Pauli (GER)

We knew the day was coming. And now it has arrived after young guns St Pauli (GER) put on a show to claim their first title of 2024. 

It was a dominant performance after they edged Kandava Turiba (LAT) on Day One in a battle of the New Gen. Fabian Giessmann started his MVP campaign with 10 points and couldn't be stopped from there as the Germans went on a roll. 

Their most impressive effort was a 22-13 win over Lausanne (SUI) in the semis, where Giessmann outplayed Westher Molteni and Carlos Martinez in a starring turn. 

They were finally pushed to the limit by NY Harlem (USA) in the final, but Giessmann was unstoppable to narrowly miss a triple-five.

He finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 highlights to finish with an insane 55 points, including a tournament high of 15 points against Ermont SENEF (FRA) in the quarters. 

The runner-up: NY Harlem (USA)

The New Yorkers are still doing their thing. They showed their class with tight wins on Day One before Dominique Jones - this legendary 3x3 entertainer you just know as 'Disco Domo' - reached for the sky and went on a shooting spree to finish with 12 points. 

His backcourt buddy Kidani Brutus took over in a thrilling semi-final as NY Harlem overcame dangerous Kandava Turiba. They fell short of a first title in 2024, but this iconic 3x3 team are showing no signs of slowing down. 

The Final: St Pauli 21-NY Harlem 17

Two of the most entertaining teams in the business squared up and you just knew this was going to be fun. And they didn't disappoint with Dominique Jones going bang in a fast start for NY Harlem. 

'Disco Domo' then unleashed his fancy footwork for an And-1 as the New Yorkers held the early edge. Their lead stretched out to 10-3 when he splashed from downtown and the final appeared to be going only one way. 

But Fabian Giessmann took over - expect anyone else? - and he scored four quick points capped by a thunderous reverse slam to ignite a furious comeback. 

St Pauli went on an 11-2 run to edge ahead before Kidani Brutus went bang, bang as the lead switched hands. But Giessmann wouldn't be denied as his outstanding tournament was clinched with a deserved title by an emerging team that is making their mark on the pro circuit. 

 

The reward: Three tickets to the Shenzhen Masters

St Pauli, NY Harlem and Lausanne qualified to the Shenzhen Masters on November 16-17.

Final Standings:
1. St Pauli (GER)
2. NY Harlem (USA)
3. Lausanne (SUI)
4. Kandava Turiba (LAT)
5. Vienna (AUT)

Top Scorers:
1.  Fabian Giessmann (St Pauli, GER) 55 pts
2. Dominique Jones (NY Harlem, USA) 41 pts
3. Francis Lacis (Kandava Turiba, LAT) 34 pts
4. Malik Hluchoweckyj (Lausanne, SUI) 31 pts
5. Herve Jean-Pierre (Ermont SENEF, FRA) 27 pts

Key Stats:
- Excitement machine Malik Hluchoweckyj put up 13 points and 5 rebounds in Lausanne's Day One victory over Shanghai JUSS (CHN). 
- Vienna superstar Enis Murati had 6 points, 11 rebounds and 5 highlights against Sagamihara (JPN) on Day One.
- Herve Jean-Pierre had a monster 12 points and 7 highlights for Ermont SENEF in their Day One win against Sagamihara. 

FIBA