Darussafaka Tekfen Istanbul did not have things go its way in the opening quarter of the new 7DAYS EuroCup season. Marko Simonovic nailed 3 three-pointers in the first quarter and after 10 minutes Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana led 24-12 and had a 14-7 rebounding advantage. It looked like Darussafaka could end up in trouble, but it did not.

The team from Istanbul pulled out a 73-79 win in the Slovenian capital thanks precisely to its rebounding domination. Over the final three quarters of the game, Darussafaka outrebounded the hosts 41-17. Many of the visitors' 17 offensive rebounds were long bounces off the rim after missed three-point shots, giving them second and third opportunities that made the difference.

Darussafaka made 13 triples, but needed 37 long-range attempts - by far the most of any team this week. However, the rebounding advantage - especially on the offensive glass, made up for the misfires. While Cedevita had a total of 7 offensive boards, Darussafaka had eight different players grab at least 1 on the offensive glass, including Bonzie Colson and Johnathan Hamilton, who pulled down 4 offensive rebounds each in their respective EuroCup debuts.

It all made for a winning return to the EuroCup for Darussafaka, which won the title the last time it played. This victory was Darussafaka's seventh in a row and made for a nice first step in a promising new season.