Galatasaray Çağdaş Faktoring fell 78-68 to Serbian visitors KKZ Crvena Zvezda during the third week of the EuroLeague Women B Group at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, dropping their second match of the continental campaign.
Sinan Erdem Opener Sees Strong Start Falter
The home side opened the contest with a starting lineup featuring Derin Erdoğan, Kamiah Smalls, Sevgi Uzun, Awak Kuier, and Dorka Juhász. Smalls immediately set the tone by landing the match’s first points from beyond the arc. After a tightly contested opening five minutes that saw Marine Fauthoux and Juhász take their first minutes on the court, the hosts claimed a 24-19 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Momentum shifted in the second period as the Belgrade visitors tightened their defensive stance. Olivia Nelson-Ododa manufactured the period’s opening layup for the hosts, but Kızılyıldız steadily chipped away at the deficit. Both squads traded baskets down the stretch, sending the match into halftime deadlocked at 38-38.
Crvena Zvezda Pulls Away After Halftime Stalemate
Emese Hof opened the third quarter scoring with a two-point turnike, but the offensive rhythm soon tilted toward the visitors. While the Istanbul side favored interior scoring and fast breaks, Kızılyıldız relied on mid-range shooting to control the tempo. The Serbian side edged ahead 57-54 heading into the final frame.
Crvena Zvezda come away with a BIG win on the road against Galatasaray 💥#EuroLeagueWomen pic.twitter.com/cJZz4u3APZ
Kuier opened the final ten minutes with an inside basket for Galatasaray, yet the visitors maintained a steady scoring advantage through the closing minutes. Kızılyıldız effectively neutralized late-game comeback bids to secure the victory, moving their own record to two wins in group play.
Box Score Comparison and Standout Performers
Kuier led all Galatasaray scorers with 20 points, adding eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and five blocks, though her performance proved insufficient for victory. Smalls contributed 10 points along with one rebound and three assists, while Juhász chipped in nine points and eight rebounds. For the visitors, Artemis Spanou emerged as the standout performer on the floor with 21 points, while Dugalic added 12 points and Sujic contributed 10.
Additional match data confirmed the officiating crew consisted of Esperanza Mendoza from Spain, Poland’s Bogna Podkowinska, and Amalia Marchiş of Romania. Prior to tip-off, Galatasaray players took to the floor during warm-ups wearing special t-shirts dedicated to 29 October Republic Day.
Standings Impact and Upcoming Schedule
The defeat leaves Galatasaray Çağdaş Faktoring with a two-loss record through three rounds of EuroLeague Women Group B fixtures.
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