Fenerbahce – Battle of the Basque Country – GETTY
Bad from the beginning, the Basques fall to Fenerbahce and move away from the ‘Top 8’ again
MADRID, 16 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Bitci Baskonia clearly lost (75-53) this Thursday in their visit to Fenerbahce on day 16 of the Euroleague, much lower from the opening whistle to complete a double defeat this week in Turkey that moves them away from the ‘Top 8 ‘.
Neven Spahija’s men have not taken two steps forward since the coach’s arrival in mid-November and, with 5-11 in the table, the European season looks like hell. So it was this week in Turkey, first against Efes and then against a superior Fenerbahce.
The Turks started with a tough 15-2 to which the Basques reacted. In the same way, in the second quarter Baskonia seemed to make the rubber, but his stretch did not give to make the locals doubt. The last visiting arreón at the Ulker Sports Arena was after the break, but between De Colo (17 points and 7 assists) and a former like Polonara (15) put on their boots.
Another who flew from Vitoria to Istanbul as Henry was the one who opened the hostilities. The Basques entered the game seriously injured, with a Fenerbahce pressing hard on defense in search of their fourth victory in a row. A Baskonia in waves allowed a poor start that paid dearly, only Enoch contributing.
Sasha Djordjevic cut the game whenever he saw any hint of awakening in the rival (17-11). Spahija’s team needed points and a much more intense defense that never came. Visiting feelings remained the same in the second quarter, in a sea of losses and little to hold on to.
A couple of steals from Granger, plus a triple, gave Baskonia some faith, but what he needed was defense. As if that were not enough, De Colo took action and the party began to speak Turkish (41-26). Two triples at the start of the third quarter and an even set kept Baskonia in the fight, but the failures continued.
A lot of raffled ball, little defense and with no news from Baldwin IV or Giedraitis, Fenerbahce had no problems taking the final thrust to score the seventh victory. A couple of wins more than the Basques, a wide distance that separates them from the ‘playoffs’ and that still seems much more at stake despite the recovery in the Endesa League.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: FENERBAHCE, 75 – BITCI BASKONIA, 53. (43-28, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
FENERBAHCE: Henry (6), Pierre (4), Mahmutoglu (3), Booker (8) and Vesely (13) –initial quintet – De Colo (17), Polonara (15), Guduric (7), Hazer ( 2), Biberovic (-), Birsen (-).
BITCI BASKONIA: Baldwin IV (5), Fontecchio (5), Peters (-), Sedekerskis (8) and Enoch (14) –initial quintet–; Granger (8), Giedraitis (2), Costello (5), Nnoko (2), Kurucs (4).
–PARTIALS: 19-14, 24-14, 12-15, 20-10.
– REFEREES: Lottermoser, Pastusiak and Koljensic. Without eliminated.
–CABILITION: Ulker Sports Arena, 5,217 spectators.