Heat Captain Asks for More in Berlin

Poujoulat Heat Guildford captain Mike Martin is looking for an improvement in his team's performance as they head to Germany to face Alba Berlin in the ULEB Cup on Tuesday evening.

Heat lost 79-67 at home against Kularoos Plymouth Raiders on Saturday, despite 23 points from Martin, and the Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner was unhappy with the display, "I'm disappointed with the performance because we can play at a higher level. Just because we have been at that level for a couple of weeks, doesn't mean we can be complacent. We have to compete every night, and because we didn't do that we lost the game. It's annoying, we should be showing sides why we are representing the BBL in the ULEB Cup, but we aren't doing that at the moment."

Tuesday's trip to Berlin will provide a stern test for a Heat side that have lost their opening two games in the competition. The German powerhouses currently lie joint third in ULEB Cup Group A, having bounced back from an opening night 79-67 loss at DKV Joventut to win 85-70 at home against Siauliai last week. They have also started their domestic campaign well, winning seven of their opening nine games.

Over the past decade Alba have emerged as a dominant force in German basketball, winning seven consecutive league titles between 1997-2003. They have also tasted European success when, in 1995, they became the first German team to win the Korac Cup.

They have competed in the Euroleague in seasons gone by, and have featured in the ULEB Cup each year since 2004-05, but have not reached the elimination rounds in any of their previous attempts.

Domestically in recent years they have won the regular season in 2006 and 2007, and the German Cup in 2006.

Their Serbian coach, Luka Pavicevic, has sourced five players from his native country for their current roster, but possibly the most potent threat is posed by 6'7" sharpshooter Dijon Thompson who notched 22 points in their last win.

Heat will travel to the German capital on Monday, and will practice at the Max Schmeling Halle arena on Monday evening and Tuesday morning before facing their third ULEB game on Tuesday evening.