Galatasaray roars to its biggest Eurocup win ever!

Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul made a statement to start Top 16 Group N by blowing out visiting CAI Zaragoza 103-68 on Wednesday for its biggest Eurocup victory ever. With a wave of three-pointers, the hosts scored 61 points between the second and third quarters to put the game out of reach. Sinan Guler hit 5 shots from downtown on his way to 25 points, his Eurocup career high. He was followed by Errick McCollum with 17 and Vladimir Micov with 13, while Blake Schilb and Joey Dorsey had 12 each. Galatasaray shot an incredible 67% on two-point shots (23 for 37), 51% on threes (15 for 29) and 92% at the free throw line (12 of 13). CAI got 15 points from Stevan Jelovac, 14 from Henk Norel and 12 from Isaac Fotu.

Defenses ruled until Schilb downed the game's first basket for the hosts after more than 2 minutes. His second, a triple, sent Galatasaray in front 8-2. Stephane Lasme's 5 free throws and a triple from Sinan Guler made it 13-6 before Nate Linhart hit CAI's first from downtown, although it was answered immediately by Vladimir Micov. The teams' traded baskets until the first quarter ended on a put-back buzzer-beater by Joey Dorsey that kept Galatasaray up by 7 points, 20-13. Guler's triple to open the second quarter sounded like a starter's pistol for the Galatasaray scorers. As McCollum joined the fun, with 13 points of his own in little more than 5 minutes, the difference climbed to 20 points as the hosts poured it on for 32 points in the quarter and a 52-33 advantage at the half.

Three-pointers by Guler and Schilb out of the third-quarter gate showed that Galatasaray was taking no chances. When Goksenin Koksal added his own, the score was 63-36. Another three-point onslaught, by Guler and Micov, meant a 31-point lead, 73-42. CAI's defense was unable to stop the hosts from finishing with 29 points in the quarter to lead 81-53 after 30 minutes. Micov's next long-ball and a two-pointer from McCollum supplied the game's high lead, 88-54, early in the final quarter. It was all CAI could do to match Galatasaray's scoring for the next few minutes. Guler's next triple gave the hosts 15, their most ever in Eurocup play beyond the regular season, and gave the Galatasaray fans plenty to cheer in the first game of the new phase.