By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Galatasaray NEF registered its first victory in the Basketball Champions League Round of 16 after topping Hapoel U-NET Holon 74-71 Thursday in Istanbul.
Kerry Blackshear Jr. was clutch for the hosts down the final stretch, leading his team with a new season-high performance of 24 points. Blackshear hit net from the three-point line with 1:22 remaining in the game to give Galatasaray a 5-point breather which helped them seal the victory. It was a head-to-head battle in the second half after the Israeli side recovered from a 10-point deficit at halftime to tie the score at 52 points in the third quarter.
DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell added 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists for the Turkish side, Dee Bost contributed 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and Melo Trimble followed with 11 points and 6 rebounds.
Prior to their trip to Istanbul, Holon held on to a two-game winning streak and had also beat Galatasaray 98-89 on Tuesday. Michale Kyser tapped 16 points and 5 rebounds for the visiting side, Rafael Menco added 15, Adam Smith had 14 and Chris Johnson scored 10 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
Postgame press conference:
Photo credit: Basketball Champions League