Beşiktaş Cola Turka Women’s Basketball Team continued to hold a firm grip on the top spot with a lopsided 94-59 victory over visiting Bosnian Zelzejnicar at BJK Cola Turka Arena in the 5th week of FIBA European Cup.

The game started with both teams exchanging baskets but Lady Black and Whites gradually imposed their tempo and began opening a gap behind a string of lay-ups by Vanessa Hayden and Lovelace. But Davis kept the Bosnian side in the game and prevented Beşitaş Cola Turka from pulling away any further. Nevertheless, Dilek Ünüvar and Nilay Yiğit nailed back-to-back threes that put Black and Whites ahead, 29-20, at the end of the first quarter.
The roles did not change much in the second quarter. While Beşiktaş Cola Turka kept the game in control, Zelzejnicar played catch-up to remain within reach. A temporary sloppy performance by the Lady Black and Whites under the boards allowed Davis and Music to cut the deficit down midway through the quarter. But Beşiktaş Cola Turka quickly charged back and built a 52-36 edge before heading to its locker room at the half.
Our team increased their offensive rhythm in the early going of the second half and took advantage of its opponent’s poor defense with unanswered lay-ups by Lovelace. Helped by the hot-shooting Nazlı Güler and Vanessa Hayden, Beşiktaş Cola Turka extended their advantage to 20 points and led 66-45 at the 27th –minute mark of the game. Unable to overcome their hosts solid defense and fast-breaks, the Bosnians lost all hopes of getting back into the game and trailed 76-48 after three quarters of play.
Having established a comfortable 28 point cushion, Black and White team turned to its bench and brought in players who previously had limited playing time. Backed by superior rebounding at both ends, Beşiktaş Cola Turka successfully converted its opponent’s turnovers to widen the gap to a huge 35-point (92-57) with 2 minutes remaining. The Lady Black and Whites ran way from their visitors to claim a 94-59 victory in the end.
The undisputable star of the game, Stacey Lovelace finished with a game-high 32 points followed by Nazlı Güler and Vanessa Hayden who both added 13 points each. The other players who contributed to Beşiktaş Cola Turka’s scoring were; Nilay Yiğit (12), Spiric (7), Seda (7), Gözde (3), Esra (3), Melike (2) and Dilek (2).