BAXI Manresa's Eurocup run ends with a loss to Turk Telekom
The Ankara side defeated the Bages team, who fought hard but couldn't find the right moment to surprise them. Oriola, Brooks, and Reyes stood out, although the team never looked comfortable on the Turkish court.
98 Turk Telekom Ankara I Ozdemiroglu 11, Devoe 16, Trifunovic 5, Bankston 16 and Simonovic 9; Allman 13, Alexander 8, Usher 5 and Smith 15
81 BAXI Manresa I Benitez 10, Brooks 16, Reyes 14, Knudsen 4 and Akobundu-Ehiogu 2; Gaspà, Bassas 7, Ubal 10, Steinbergs, Paulicap, Oriola 11 and Obasohan 7
Quarter Scores: 32-19, 27-29, 19-22, 20-11
BAXI Manresa was defeated 98-81 on the difficult court of Turk Telekom Ankara in the EuroCup Round of 16, in a game where they trailed from the start. Thus, the Bages team brings to a close a successful campaign in the second-tier European competition.
The home team started strong and quickly took control of the scoreboard. Gradually, a highly accurate Turkish side began to widen the gap, building a thirteen-point lead by the end of the first quarter against a red team led by Reyes and Oriola (32-19).
In the second quarter, Erdem Can's players continued to dominate, extending their lead to a maximum of eighteen points (59-41). Towards the end of the first half, the visitors rallied, scoring seven consecutive points to narrow the gap (59-48 at halftime).
Returning from the locker room, Diego Ocampo's men continued to fight and prevented their opponents from further increasing their lead. At the end of the third quarter, the home team was only ahead by eight points (78-70). Therefore, the game would come down to the final ten minutes.
In this game, an initial 11-2 run proved crucial to Turk Telekom's victory, as the Bagencs were unable to get back into the game and challenge for the win and qualification for the EuroCup quarterfinals.
On Sunday at 6:30 PM, BAXI Manresa will visit Coviran Granada.