Fenerbahce faced Virtus in the tenth round of the premier European competition, the EuroLeague, as guests in the ‘university town.’ The Italian team recorded their seventh win of the season, this time by 87:79.
Jordan Mickey and Achile Polonara were absent for the Italian team in this match, while Dyshawn Pierre, Raul Neto, Metecan Birsen, and Tarik Biberovic did not play for Fenerbahce.
At the very beginning of the game, Johnathan Motley shone by scoring nine of the first 14 points for the Turkish team, leading 14:9. Fenerbahce’s center left the game just a minute before the end of the first quarter, scoring 15 points without a miss from the field (7/7) during that time. Virtus managed to keep the score close, mainly thanks to three-point shooting. After an extremely efficient first quarter, the visiting team led 27:25.
Daniel Hackett and Tornike Shengelia, as well as several times this season, kept Virtus in the game, while Devontae Cacok made a difference by filling all statistical columns. He scored six points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals, leading the Italian team 41:35. An interesting ending to the first half unfolded after Marko Guduric staged a comeback, and his Italian namesake, Belinelli, responded with a three-point shot for a score of 46:44 before the break
Dimitris Itoudis has been ejected! π¨#Fenerbahce #FenerbahΓ§e #EuroLeague pic.twitter.com/1gZmGgKvpQ
— Basketball Sphere (EN) (@BSphere_) November 23, 2023
A few moments later, Nick Calathes achieved another EuroLeague milestone. In this period, Ognjen Dobric played exceptionally well, contributing significantly to Virtus’ double-digit lead. After scoring a layup, Calathes surpassed the 3000-point mark in EuroLeague, but that didn’t help Fenerbahce, as Virtus continued to lead 70:58 heading into the decisive quarter.
Johnathan Motley remained an insurmountable obstacle in the paint for Virtus, but they had so many in-form players that they managed to maintain a double-digit lead. Although there was some doubt, Awudu Abass put the finishing touch on the game with a three-pointer for an 85:74 lead three minutes before the end, securing Virtus’ seventh win of the season in ten played matches.
The top scorer for the winning team was Tornike Shengelia with 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Daniel Hackett finished the game with one point less, while Ognjen Dobric contributed 11 points. Johnathan Motley led Fenerbahce with 25 points and eight rebounds.
In the next round of the EuroLeague, Virtus will face Bayern in Munich, while Fenerbahce will host Real Madrid