Gaziantep Basketbol defeats Yalova Haremspor 70-67 in TBL match

Gaziantep Basketbol handed Yalova Haremspor its first defeat of the TBL season with a narrow 70-67 victory. The tightly contested match featured 11 lead changes before Gaziantep secured the win thanks to late-game free throws from Scoochie Smith.

How Gaziantep Handed Yalova Its First Defeat

The match remained neck-and-neck through the opening quarters. Yalova held a narrow 21-20 edge after the first period, fueled by a three-pointer from Berke Aygündüz. Gaziantep responded in the second quarter with a 7-1 run to take a 27-22 lead, though Yalova answered back as Hakan Yapar converted from beyond the arc to put his side ahead 34-31. Yalova carried a 37-36 advantage into halftime.

The decisive shift arrived in the third period when Gaziantep strung together a 13-3 run to jump ahead 49-40, prompting a Yalova timeout following a triple by Emre Tanışan. Gaziantep extended its cushion to eight points at 62-54 with five minutes remaining on the game clock, and stretched the margin to 68-58 with three minutes left to play.

Samuel Lee Sessoms Late Three-Point Surge Falls Short

Yalova mounted a fierce comeback attempt behind Samuel Lee Sessoms, who drained three consecutive three-pointers down the stretch. With 90 seconds remaining on the clock, Sessoms cut Gaziantep’s lead to a single point at 68-67. Sessoms finished the game with 25 points, hitting 7 of 13 attempts from three-point range while adding 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 turnovers.

Despite the frantic rally, Yalova could not complete the comeback. With 16 seconds left, Scoochie Smith calmly sank two free throws to push the lead to 70-67. On the final possession of the game, Gaziantep’s defensive trapping forced Yalova into a costly turnover, sealing the victory.

Standout Statistics From the Hard-Fought TBL Matchup

Both teams now hold identical 3-1 records early in the TBL campaign after entering the fixture with championship ambitions. Gaziantep played without Jamar Gulley, who missed the contest due to an injury. To compensate, Samet Geyik delivered a dominant double-double with 16 points—including three out of five shooting from deep—alongside 10 rebounds and 2 assists. Scoochie Smith orchestrated the offense with 17 points, 12 assists, and 3 rebounds, while Emre Tanışan contributed 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists.

For Yalova Haremspor, Abdoulaye Gueye anchored the paint with 14 points and 15 rebounds, accompanied by 3 assists. Sessoms led all scorers with his 25-point performance, though his six turnovers proved costly as Gaziantep’s defense tightened in the closing moments.