Visiting Beşiktaş Cola Turka Men’s Basketball rolled past Mersin Büyükşehir Belediye 85-74 in a Beko Basketball League Week 3 game.

With consecutive baskets by Asım Pars, Nedim Yücel and James Baron, the host Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi got off to a fast start and led 14-7 midway through the quarter. Getting back-to-back three-pointers from Brad Newley and Cevher Özer, the Black Eagles eventually reduced the deficit but were unable to contain the hot-shooting duo of Dominic James and James Baron. At the end of the opening frame, Mersin was up 22-21.
After both teams traded buckets to start the second stanza, the Black and White went ahead, 26-25, for the first time in the game on a Lonny Baxter 10-footer with under 7:00 remaining in the half. Then, the Eagles rode the scoring of Brad Newley and Baxter to stretch the margin to eight, 33-25, at the halfway point. Despite a string of three-pointers from Altan Erol and Richie Fram, the home side Mersin trailed, 45-37, at the intermission.
Beşiktaş Cola Turka clamped down on defense in the third, forcing Mersin to rely solely on outside shots. Meanwhile, Lonny Baxter and Mire Chatman teamed up to dominate the painted area and make it 51-46 for the visitors at the 25:00 mark.  Inanç Koç drilled a 26-foot three-pointer behind the arch to bring the home team closer, but Haluk Yıldırım answered right back with his own three to make sure that the margin remained intact. Then Brad Newley and and Kevin Fletcher kept hitting their shots to give Beşiktaş Cola Turka a 10-point cushion at 63-53 going into the final quarter.
Thanks to jumpers by Brad Newley, Kevin Fletcher and Adem Ören, the Black Eagles never relinquished control in the fourth as they pushed the lead to 71-58 with 5:10 left to play. Mersin Büyükşehir threatened to climb back into the game behind the scoring of sure-handed James Baron down the stretch but could not find way to stop Haluk Yıldırım and Murat Güler from pouring it in. The Black and White fended off a Mersin charge in the dying minutes to emerge with an 85-74 road victory.