Beşiktaş Cola Turka men’s basketball pulled out an 80-74 victory over the visiting Asvel
Basket in Eurocup Group B Week 4 game at the Akatlar Arena on Tuesday night.
Serhat Çetin, the Eagles jumped out to an early lead on consecutive buckets by Likholitov and
Iverson but then went without a basket for the next four minutes. The visitors from France
took advantage of Beşiktaş Cola Turka’s scoring drought and hit a number of three-pointers to
build a 21-12 cushion going into the second frame.
Asvel continued to continued to pour it on the Black and White at the outset of the second,
extending the lead to fifteen points, 28-13, three minutes into the stanza. From that moment
onwards, the Eagles woke up and began to chip away at the lead with Cevher Özer’s free
throws. The deficit was cut to seven at 34-27 midway through the quarter. Few seconds later,
Oglivy sank a couple of jumpers to bring Beşiktaş Cola Turka within three points, but the
French team charged back in the dying minutes to close out the first half ahead, 39-33.
After Likholitov made a layup to start the second half, jumpers by Ignerski and Allen Iverson
tied the game at 39-39. Then it was the visitors’ turn to go into a dry spell as they went
scoreless for the next three minutes. Nevertheless, a three-pointer by Zizic ended the drought
and Walsh followed with back-to- back jumpers to regain the lead for Asvel. The visiting
Green and White fended off a late Beşiktaş Cola Turka rally and took a 57-51 edge into the
final quarter.
In the early going of the fourth, the Eagles turned the heat on the French team as Mire
Chatman’s three put them in front, 61-60. It appeared all the Asvel shots previously falling
in had stopped and home side had taken complete control as the margin grew to 66-61 at the
half way point. A barrage of three-pointers by Black and White pushed that lead to 73-65 with
3:30 remaining to play. Asvel made a last-ditch effort to salvage the game and closed to 75-72
on Walsh’s layup entering the final minute, but Beşiktaş Cola Turka held on to win 80-74.
Cevher Özer led the Eagles with 15 points, while Serhat Çetin (12), Mire Chatman (11),
Fedor Likholitov (11), Allen Iverson (9), Michal Ignerski (8), James Oglivy (8) and Bekir
Yarangüme (6) all chipped in for Beşiktaş Cola Turka.
A group of celebrities which included Beşiktaş football team players Guti, Ferrari and Ismail
Köybaşı and the singer, movie director Mahsun Kırmızıgül were at hand to watch the Black
and White’s critical Eurocup contest.