NextGen Istanbul hosts team beats Reyer in first-ever game
Bahcesehir makes history with first-ever win
U18 Bahcesehir College Istanbul grabbed a victory in its first-ever game at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague as the Next Gen Istanbul host side defeated U18 Umana Reyer Venice 64-58 in Group A. It was a game of runs throughout and the Turkish side had the final spurt to get the victory.
Yavuz Kara led the way with 23 points and 9 rebounds and Mikail Atakan and Ahmet Aydin both scored 10 points for the winning side. Davide Marini was Reyer’s top scorer with 16 points and 6 rebounds and Francesco Eramo collected 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals
Reyer jumped ahead 0-6 before Kara hit a three-pointer for Bahcesehir’s first points in the competition’s history. The home side grabbed the lead for the first time at 9-8 only to have Reyer answer with the next five points. Bahcesehir countered with the next five points before Reyer went up 14-20 and led 18-20 after 10 minutes. The hosts finished off a 10-1 spurt to go ahead 24-21 before Reyer reeled off 15 straight points in a 7-minute scoreless drought for Bahcesehir to trail 24-36. Two triples in the final 28 seconds for the hosts made it 30-36 at the break.
Reyer was up 33-39 when its offense dried up and Bahcesehir went on a 16-2 run to take a 49-41 lead. The home side was still up 52-45 after 30 minutes. Bahcesehir was still up 56-51 but went nearly 5 minutes without a point and fell behind 56-57. The next run came from the hosts with 8 straight points and a 64-57 cushion with 57 seconds left.