Our visiting Beşiktaş Cola Turka Women’s Basketball Team was defeated, 82-73, by Fenerbahçe at Caferağa Sports Saloon in the 8th week of TBBL.

After Vanessa Hayden scored the first points of the game, the teams kept trading baskets at both ends and entered the 4th-minute mark in a 7-7 tie. Then Sutton Brown put the host team ahead for the first time in the game and Fenerbahçe tried to take control behind jumpers by Esmeral Tunçluer. Beşiktaş Cola Turka managed to jump out in front on consecutive buckets from Stacey Lovelace with 2 minutes remaining in the quarter, but Nevriye Yılmaz quickly restored the home team’s lead with close-range shots. After Hayden missed one of her two free throws to tie the score in the dying seconds, Fenerbahçe held a slim 23-22 edge going into the second quarter.
At the start of the second, Lady Black and Whites regained the lead with Nilay Yiğit’s lay-up and stretched it to 26-23 on Hayden’s bucket under the hoop. From then on, the game turned into a seesaw affair with neither team managing to pull away. Unable to contain the hot-shooting Nevriye inside the painted area, Beşiktaş Cola Turka began to falter offensively but still remained within reach. Despite a 6 point gap midway through the quarter, our ladies survived a late rally and trailed only 44-42 at the half.
 
The regrouped Black and Whites opened the third with a three and went on to recapture the lead, 47-44, behind Hayden’s lay-up. However, they missed their next 4 shots and fell behind once again following baskets by Nevriye and Esmeral. Trailing by only 2 points, Hayden and Dilek knocked down a pair of jumpers to put Beşiktaş Cola Turka on top once more with 4 minutes remaining. But Nevriye Yılmaz took the center stage again and lifted Fenerbahçe to a 61-59 lead heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, our Black and Whites blew their chances at stealing a win and had a hard time stopping the duo of Sutton Brown and Nevriye under the boards. Double teaming their opponents at front court, the host team tightened up its defense and prevented Beşiktaş Cola Turka from getting too close. This new tactic paid off and Fenerbahçe began to pull away late in the quarter. Unable to get their usual offensive rhythm going, the Lady Black and Whites had trouble finding the hoop down the stretch and lost the game, 82-73.