Besiktas hosted Fenerbahce in a sold-out “Sinan Erdem” arena for the tenth round of the Turkish Super League, and emerged victorious with a score of 68:64 under the coaching of Dusan Alimpijevic.
Right from the start, it was evident that this would be a tough match, with both teams alternating in scoring until Fenerbahce took the lead at 12:10. However, Besiktas, led by Derek Needham and Yigit Arslan, initiated a 7:0 run. They managed to maintain their lead until the end of the first period, finishing 19:15.
Besiktas continued to perform well at the beginning of the second quarter, establishing a six-point lead (23:17). During this time, Nigel Hayes-Davis was the only player in the opposing team showing good form. Under the guidance of coach Dusan Alimpijevic, Besiktas extended their lead to a significant seven points (29:22), but the game was marred by unfortunate incidents.
Apart from offensive chanting and high tension in the “Sinan Erdem” arena, an object thrown from the stands hit Yam Madar. As a result, the referee trio decided to interrupt the match, leading to a pause of more than ten minutes.
The incident was triggered when a member of Fenerbahce’s board of directors reacted to offensive chants from the stands. There was never a question of evacuating the stands, and all fans remained in the arena. After the resumption of the match, Beşiktaş maintained a significant lead, leading 31:24 at the start of the second half.
The third quarter saw several changes in the lead, and as expected, tension increased as time passed. Leyton Hammonds and Marko Guduric engaged in a personal showdown in several consecutive attacks, culminating in a tied score of 45:45. The inspired Arslan then scored with the sound of the buzzer, giving Besiktas a 47:45 lead heading into the decisive ten minutes.
The same player opened the fourth quarter with a three-point shot, but Fenerbahçe found ways to stay in contention. However, with seven minutes remaining, Jonah Matthews brought a significant lead of 57:49 for Besiktas. Scottie Wilbekin and Hayes-Davis responded with a 5:0 run, followed by several missed opportunities on both sides. Then, Derek Needham took the stage with two consecutive three-pointers in just a few seconds, extending the lead to 65:56 and prompting a timeout from Dimitris Itoudis. Sertac Sanli replied with a three-pointer, but with one minute left, the Black Eagles led 65:62.
With ten seconds left, Marko Guduric took responsibility and attempted a three-point shot but was not successful. Fenerbahce tried to create a free-throw finish to catch up with their rival, but they were unable to do so.
Derek Needham was the top scorer for the winning team with 15 points, followed by Yigit Arslan with 14 points, and Jonah Matthews with 11 points. On the other side, Nigel Hayes-Davis led with 18 points and seven rebounds, Sertac Sanli recorded a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds), and Marko Guduric scored 10 points.
In the next round of the Turkish Super League, Fenerbahce will face Anadolu Efes in another derby, while Besiktas will host Bahcesehir.