Eurocup: Karsiyaka destroys Trabzonspor

There was just a single game to open Round 5 of the Eurocup Last 32 on Tuesday, but it was a mouth-watering encounter that would pit two clubs from Turkey against each other. The all-Turkish clash saw Trabzonspor Medical Park play hosts to current TBL champions Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir.

The home team ended up being routed in front of its home fans, taking a beating from Karsiyaka and slumping the bottom of Group K in the process with a 2-3 record. The victory saw the visitors leapfrog Trabzonspor in the standings, although while still sharing the same 2.3 record.

Trabzonspor Medical Park vs. Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir, 43-76
A slick Karsiyaka offence punished Trabzonspor for long periods, while the rounded attack dished out a total of 20 assists compared to 9 scoring passes handed by the home team.

In the first quarter the teams were close, trading buckets for much of the period until Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir edged ahead by a single point, the score reading 16-17. The guests turned it on in defence during the second frame and remained consistent at the offensive basket. Karsiyaka halted the hosts at 5 points in the second act and added 19 points to make it 21-36 through the long break.

The double-digit lead meant the visitors were cruising heading into the third stanza, and the plight of Trabzonspor was compounded in the frame as the hosts only hit 9 points, resulting a score of 30-55 through thirty minutes. In the final act Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir put the icing on a pretty stunning performance with a 13-21 run that simply killed the game.

Colton Iverson led the winners with 14 points and 8 rebounds, while Lazeric Jones added 13 points and Bracey Wright scored 11 points.

Andrija Stipanovic and Damian Kulig both scored 10 points.