Crailsheim, 31.01.2026 - The HAKRO Merlins had more than one reason to celebrate!
In front of over 2,500 fans, the Merlins marked their 40th anniversary at Arena Hohenlohe – and crowned the evening on the court with an 87:77 win over the PS Karlsruhe Lions. It was also sweet revenge for the loss in the first leg.

From the tip-off, the game had plenty of fire: After a three-pointer by Brock Gardner and a dunk from Anthony Gaines, the Wizards pulled away early with a 9:0 run and led 26:18 after the first quarter. Crailsheim stayed in control in the second period as well, shooting efficiently and defending solidly – going into halftime with a well-deserved 49:36 lead.

After the break, the Merlins kept their foot on the gas, stretching the advantage to nearly 20 points at one stage (60:42) and taking a 71:56 cushion into the final quarter. Karlsruhe briefly closed the gap, but timely threes and strong plays in crunch time sealed it – a confident 87:77 home win in the end.

Top scorer was Anthony Gaines (21 points), while Marvin Ogunsipe just missed a double-double with 8 points and 14 rebounds. Xavier Johnson (14), Brock Gardner (11) and T.J. Madlock (11) also scored in double figures.

After the game, the guests were treated to a fantastic anniversary party with live music in the Hangar next door.

As part of the anniversary weekend celebrating the 40th birthday of the HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim, the club announced the launch of the Merlins Hall of Fame. For its premiere, four Merlins legends were inducted into this exclusive circle. Hartmut Ziegler, Daniel Dörr, Sebastian Kling and Konrad Wysocki are the four Hall of Famers of the Class of 2026 .