Anadolu Efes Defeats Virtus Bologna 103-91 to Secure Fifth Win

Anadolu Efes defeated Virtus Bologna 103-91 to claim its fifth victory in EuroLeague play, Basketfaul reported.

Collin Malcolm and Bruno Fernando fueled a dominant first-half performance for Efes, though the team encountered turbulence after Fernando suffered an injury that kept him out of the second half. As Bologna mounted a comeback threat in the final period, Jordan Loyd caught fire to secure a safe margin down the stretch.

Efes shot 55.2 percent from beyond the arc, hitting 16 of 29 three-point attempts, while racking up 26 assists and 11 offensive rebounds. Malcolm led the scoring charge with 20 points and five rebounds, while Loyd added 22 points, including six of seven from long range, alongside five rebounds.

Collin Malcolm started the match strongly for the visitors, while Kevin Kokila netted seven points in the opening three minutes to level the score at 7-7, Basketfaul reported. Efes fed Bruno Fernando in the right spots to carve out a 22-17 lead by the eighth minute.

Dario Saric suffered an injury and headed to the locker room during the first period, which ended with Efes ahead 27-20 behind Malcolm’s 13 points. In the second quarter, after a 28-23 scoreline, Efes used a 7-0 run to stretch the lead to 35-23, eventually building a 17-point cushion at 50-33 in the sixth minute.

Virtus Bologna coach Laso called a timeout when the deficit reached 54-43 in the eighth minute. Matthew Strazel contributed eight assists while playing team-oriented basketball, helping push the halftime advantage to 60-43 before Fernando sustained his injury with 22 seconds left in the half.

Cameron Payne hit deep three-pointers to protect the lead as Efes stretched the margin to 71-53 four minutes into the third quarter, Basketfaul reported. Efes players showed visible frustration with officiating decisions as the game reached a TV timeout at 73-60.

Efes lost its offensive rhythm and struggled to score, allowing Bologna to cut the gap to 76-66 in the eighth minute before the period closed at 76-68. Bologna continued its pursuit in the final frame, narrowing the score to 85-76 with four minutes played in the fourth quarter.

Though forced into isolation plays by Jordan Loyd, Efes maintained a 95-80 cushion with three and a half minutes remaining. The match finished at 103-91.

Anadolu Efes received 22 points and five rebounds from Jordan Loyd, 20 points and five rebounds from Collin Malcolm, and 15 points with 10 rebounds from Bruno Fernando before his exit. Dario Saric contributed 12 points and five rebounds, and Matthew Strazel finished with 11 points and eight assists.

Virtus Bologna was led by Derrick Alston Jr. with 12 points, while Rasheed Bello and Marcus Carr each scored 11 points, with Carr adding six assists. Aliau Diarra recorded 11 points and six rebounds, and Bo Klintman chipped in 10 points.