Fenerbahçe Holds Off Late Körfez Basket Rally for One-Point Victory
Fenerbahçe Tarfin secured an 85-84 victory over Körfez Basket after surviving a 13-point fourth-quarter comeback by the Kocaeli side. Körfez had a chance to steal the win in the final seconds, but Filip Barna missed a shot directly under the basket with 12 seconds remaining.
Talen Horton-Tucker and Johnny Juzang Lead Fenerbahçe Offense
Fenerbahçe established early control by trapping Körfez into difficult perimeter shots, building a 12-8 lead by the television timeout behind scoring from Johnny Juzang. Off-the-bench three-pointers from Onuralp Bitim pushed the advantage to 25-18 at the end of the opening quarter. Körfez responded at the start of the second period with a 5-2 run, prompting an early timeout from Jasikevicius. Shane Larkin made his debut in a Fenerbahçe uniform, netting his first basket to bring the score to 38-32 in the sixth minute. Körfez committed only four turnovers in the first half and stayed within striking distance thanks to Boo Buie, heading into halftime down just 45-44. Talen Horton-Tucker led Fenerbahçe with 12 points in the first two quarters, while Bitim added 10.
Körfez Fourth-Quarter Comeback Falls Short
Körfez seized its first lead since the opening minutes when Oscar Cluff scored in the second minute of the third quarter to make it 48-47. Fenerbahçe answered decisively with a 10-0 run to stretch the lead to 57-48, carrying a 68-55 cushion into the final period. Sustaining defensive intensity, Fenerbahçe extended the margin to 13 points at 78-65 with five minutes remaining. Körfez erased that deficit quickly, slashing the gap to 78-74 with four minutes left and drawing within 78-76 when Matt Mitchell scored from the perimeter with 3:24 on the clock. After a Juzang three-pointer restored an 83-76 lead, Mert Akay brought Körfez back within a single possession at 83-80 with 1:38 to play. With the score at 85-84 and 12 seconds left, Körfez ran its final possession, but Barna failed to convert the close-range opportunity.
Horton-Tucker and Juzang Lead Fenerbahçe Scoring
Talen Horton-Tucker finished with 22 points, five rebounds, and three assists for Fenerbahçe, while Johnny Juzang contributed 21 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Onuralp Bitim chipped in 13 points and three rebounds before suffering an injury with 1:20 remaining when he stepped on an opponent’s foot after missing a three-pointer and reacted to a missed foul call. Shane Larkin finished his first appearance for the club with three points, shooting 1-of-6 from the field alongside one rebound and one assist.
For Körfez Basket, Filip Barna paced the attack with 18 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Matt Mitchell added 15 points and two rebounds, Boo Buie scored 14 points, and Jonathan Davis posted 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
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