The Turkey women’s national basketball team defeated Israel 76-67 on Wednesday in Riga, Latvia, during their second match of the 2027 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers Group I.
Playing at the Rimi Olympic Centre, the Turkish side built an early advantage by hitting shots from beyond the three-point arc. They finished the first quarter ahead 22-10 and stretched that lead to 47-29 by halftime.
Offensive production from Elif Bayram, Alperi Onar, and Meltem Yıldızhan helped widen the gap during the second quarter. The visitors pushed their advantage to 20 points at 60-40 with four minutes remaining in the third period.
Israel trimmed the deficit down to single digits by the end of the third frame, which closed at 60-49 in favor of Turkey. The hosts continued pressing inside the paint during the final quarter, cutting the margin to single digits at 64-55 with four minutes left on the clock.
Gökşen Fitik secured the victory at the free-throw line in the closing seconds, preventing Israel from completing a late comeback.
Head coach Frederic Dusart expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s performance after the break. “Kazanmak güzel ama özellikle ikinci yarıdaki oyunumuzla kazanmak benim için iyi bir şey değil,” Dusart said, according to team reports.
Guard Alperi Onar emphasized the primary objective of the qualifying window. “Pencere maçlarında en önemli şey kazanmak,” Onar said.
Turkey will travel to face Poland on Tuesday, November 17, at 19:00 TRT for their third fixture in the group stage. The team previously opened their qualification campaign with a 79-62 win against Montenegro.
