Visiting Beşiktaş Cola Turka Men’s Basketball snatched a hard-fought 89-87 win over Pınar Karşıyaka in a Week 29 game.

After Jimmy Baxter and Leon Williams exchanged baskets to start the first quarter, the Black and White went on to take a 7-2 lead on a couple of layups by Mire Chatman and Ray Wesson. Then, thanks to Wesson’s tenacious defense in the paint, the Black and White prevented the host team from penetrating inside and extended its advantage to 10 points at 14-4 four minutes into the game. Unable to end its scoring drought, Pınar Karşıyaka took a timeout to talk things over but could not stop Cevher Özer’s 27-foot three-pointer from the top of the key that made it 19-6 for the visitors. Nevertheless, Hakan Köseoğlu drove in for a layup, and Gerald Brown sank two free throws to bring Karşıyaka within 19-10 at the halfway mark. In the closing minutes, while the host team apperaed to shake off its early shooting woes, the things began to falter offensively for Beşiktaş Cola Turka; as young Furkan Aldemir, Gökper Gen and Leon Williams all took turns nailing shots from the perimeter to trim the Black and White’s lead to three points at 25-22, heading into the second quarter.
Backed by a boisterous home crowd, Karşıyaka opened the second with Leon Williams’ free throws and inched within one point of its visitors. Mire Chatman’s quick layup would not be enough to preserve Beşiktaş’s lead, because the home side eventually pulled ahead, 29-27, on a couple of inside buckets by Furkan Aldemir and Hakan Köseğlu with 7:15 remaining. From then on, it became a topsy-turvy game with both teams turning to outside shots. Following a two-minute span that saw hot-shooting Cevher Özden and Hakan Köseoğlu trade consecutive three-pointers, Karşıyaka held a narrow 39-38 edge midway through the quarter. In the dying seconds of the second frame, Michael Benton answered Furkan Aldemir’s free throws with a dunk to end the first half in a 45-45 tie.
The Black and White regained its lost momentum in the third and jumped back in front, 49-47, after a Ray Wesson tip-in. Karşıyaka tried to stay close with a series of inside baskets by Gerald Brown and Leon Williams; but was unable to contain Mire Chatman whose back-to-back layups stretched the Black and White’s advantage to 7 points, 56-49, with 6:12 to go. Then, despite an all out Beşiktaş Cola Turka surge, young Furkan Aldemir stepped up and dominated the boards on both ends of the floor to keep İzmir City team in the game; as Karşıyaka trailed only by 5 at 61-56 with 2.05 left . Nevertheless, Haluk Yıldırım’s 26-foot three-pointer, from his sweet spot in the left corner, put Beşiktaş Cola Turka up, 68-59, with one quarter to play.
In an attempt to get back within striking distance, the home team applied full-court pressure early in the fourth but was unable to prevent Cevher Özer from burying three-pointers behind the arch; as the gap grew to 10 points, 73-63, just after two minutes. However, Gökper Gen would soon launch a barrage of three-pointers of his own to help Pınar Karşıyaka crawl within 75-69 at the 6: 45 mark. While the home squad pushed hard to narrow the margin, Haluk Yıldırım and Mire Chatman combined for a 6-0 run and an 81-73 Beşiktaş Cola Turka lead at the halfway point. But, from that moment onwards, Pınar Karsıyaka tightened up on defense and managed to creep within 4 points at 81-77 with 4: 12 remaining on the clock courtesy of two short jumpers by Hakan Köseoğlu and Furkan Aldemir. A Mire Chatman layup interrupted the host team’s spurt, pushing the Black and White’s advantage to 83-77 and forcing a Karşıyaka timeout. The red and green representatives from Izmir stormed out of the timeout and got back-to-back buckets from Gökper Gen, Leon Williams and Gerald Brown to slice the deficit to two points, 85-83, entering the final minutes. After Mire Chatman and Hakan Köseoğlu swapped layups at opposing ends, Ray Wesson tipped the ball in to give Beşiktaş Cola Turka a 4-point edge at 89-85 with less than a minute remaining. A pair of Hakan Köseoğlu free throws in the closing seconds brought Karşıyaka within 2; but when Gerald Brown missed his 26-foot jumper at the buzzer, the Black and White walked away with an 89-87 victory.