Fenerbahce Ulker Now Leads Turkey TBL

Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul is now the top dog of Turkey’s TBL. They soared to the top of the league standings after achieving a 10-2 record, downing Torku Konyaspor 98-61. The league’s former leader, Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul, suffered a 73-72 loss on the road to Anadolu Efes Istanbul on December 24. Three teams are now hot on the heels of Fenerbahce Ulker with identical 9-3 slates. They are Darussafaka, Anadolu Efes and Besiktas. That said, Fenerbahce Ulker’s lead is not safe by any means as the Turkish TBL is a very competitive league.

Zeljko Obradovic’s players were on point the whole game as they managed to lead all throughout the contest. As it has been customary for Fenerbahce Ulker, solid defense and unselfish basketball basics were at the center of their success. Their aggressiveness paid off for them as they were sent to the line often during the game and they converted 22-0f-23 shots from the stripe. They also achieved a 22-15 assist advantage over the visiting team. They surged to a 28-12 lead at the end of the first period and easily expanded on their lead with the passing of each succeeding quarter.

A trio of players emerged as the main protagonists for the home squad. Andrew Goudelock, Jan Vesely, and Nemanje Bjelica each scored 16 points for Fenerbahce Ulker. Serhat Cetin added 14 points off the bench.

Valentin Pastal ended up with a game-high 18 points for Torku Konyaspor, but was arguably the lone bright spot for his club. Josh Mayo and Sean Williams chipped in 12 and 11 points respectively, but they were the only other players to score in double figures.