Basketball · International
Fenerbahçe’s final quarter settles a close contest against ALBA
Fenerbahçe beat ALBA 90–73 on 9 January, outscoring Berlin 29–13 in the last period after leading by just one point through three.
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A strong finish supplies the margin
Fenerbahçe Beko defeated ALBA Berlin 90–73 at the Ülker Sports and Event Hall on 9 January. The victory improved the Istanbul club’s EuroLeague record to 12–7. Sertaç Şanlı led all scorers with a season-high 18 points. Marko Gudurić and Nigel Hayes-Davis each added 14, while Bonzie Colson scored ten.
Berlin stays within reach for three periods
ALBA’s report describes a game in which the visitors won two quarters and briefly took the lead. They trailed only 37–34 at halftime and 61–60 after the third period. Offensive rebounds and well-created shots helped preserve that narrow difference. The final quarter brought a much sharper separation: Fenerbahçe won it 29–13, and Berlin could not produce another comeback once the hosts accelerated from the thirty-fifth minute. Gabriele Procida led ALBA with 14 points, Matt Thomas added 13 and Malte Delow ten. Will McDowell-White scored nine and Yanni Wetzell seven with six rebounds. Captain Martin Hermannsson returned to the squad, although Louis Olinde and Justin Bean remained injured. Berlin’s next scheduled assignment was a Bundesliga visit to Frankfurt on January 12. ALBA began with active defence and quick transitions, although its offence also produced too many turnovers before the halftime break.
The official numbers explain the opportunities
The EuroLeague game record lists 7,998 spectators and gives Fenerbahçe 21 successful two-point attempts from 32, compared with ALBA’s 23 from 46. Berlin had a 32–30 advantage in total rebounds and collected thirteen offensive rebounds to the hosts’ nine. Fenerbahçe nevertheless committed fifteen turnovers to Berlin’s twenty and made eighteen free throws, while ALBA made three. The visitors’ percentage from three-point range was slightly higher, 40 percent against 38.5, but Fenerbahçe made ten threes to ALBA’s eight. The result therefore involved differences in attempts and possessions as well as shooting percentages. Fenerbahçe also recorded five blocks, while Berlin did not register one. Fenerbahçe attempted 23 free throws to ALBA’s four, and its two-point accuracy was 65.6 percent compared with 50 percent for the visitors.
Injury problems shape the preparation
The January 7 preview had emphasized Fenerbahçe’s injuries at point guard. Scottie Wilbekin had suffered a cruciate ligament injury early in the season, and Wade Baldwin and Artūrs Žagars were injured in December. Despite that disruption, the club remained near the top of the EuroLeague standings and had just beaten Anadolu Efes 84–76 in the Istanbul derby. Gudurić had supplied seventeen points and seven assists in that preceding European win. ALBA travelled with encouragement from its domestic victory over Bayern Munich and with coach Israel González seeking more consistent defence. The fixture began a demanding away programme for Berlin, while Fenerbahçe’s performance continued the recovery already visible in the derby result.
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