Trento beats Karsiyaka again, goes up to 3-1 in Group K

Dolomiti Energia Trento became the new leader in Last 32 Group K by downing Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir 76-72 at home on Wednesday. Trento has a 3-1 record in Group K, with Trabzonspor Medical Park and Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia right behind at 2-2. Karsiyaka dropped to 1-3. Davide Pascolo and Filippo Baldi Rossi led the winners with 17 points apiece. Toto Forray added 16, 6 rebounds and 5 assists while Diego Flaccadori had 14 points for Trento. Bracey Wright led Karsiyaka with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Josh Carter added 13 points while Colton Iverson had 11 and 10 rebounds for the guests. Pascolo and Forray shined early to give Trento a 22-5 lead, which Karsiyaka cut to 26-18 after 10 minutes. An outstanding Baldo Rossi helped the hosts extend their margin to 44-32 at halftime. Baldo Rossi and Pascolo allowed Trento to get a 69-57 margin with over 4 minutes left but Sonen Senturk, Iverson and Bracey Wright allowed the guests to get within 74-72 in the final seconds. Free throws by Forray allowed Trento to celebrate an important home win.

Forray and Flaccadori got Trento going with consecutive three-pointer and Pascolo soon gave the hosts an 8-2 lead. Iverson split free throws and added a basket but he didn't find any help around. Meanwhole, Forray and Pascolo kept pacing Trento and Julian Wright soon made it a 12-point game, 17-5. Karsiyaka kept missing shots while Flaccadori and an unstoppable Forray boosted the hosts' lead to 22-5. Carter rescued the guests with a triple in a 0-9 run in which Bracey Wright had 5 points to keep Karsiyaka within 22-14. Bracey Wright kept pacing the guests but Julian Wright and Baldo Rossi helped Trento keep a 26-18 margin after 10 minutes. Carter hit a triple early in the second quarter but Baldo Rossi did better with back-to-back baskets for a 30-21 score. Carter scored again and Lazeric Jones found his first points but Baldo Rossi and Flaccadori struck from downtown to restore a 37-25 Trento lead. Gabriel and Julian Wright traded baskets and another triple by Flaccadori boosted the hosts' margin to 42-27. Bracey Wright answered from downtown and even when a red hot Baldo Rossi scored again, Kenan Sipahi fixed the halftime score at 44-32.

Pascolo scored again immediately after the break but free throws by Gabriel and a layup by Gonlum brought Karsiyaka a bit closer, 46-36. Gonlum and Bracey Wright split free throws and a step-back jumper by Gabriel made Trento call timeout at 46-40. Forray rescued Trento with a three-point play which Pascolo followed with a bomb from downtown to give the hosts plenty of fresh air at 52-40. Dominique Sutton followed a big basket with a tip-in and Pascolo forced Karsiyaka to call timeout at 60-44. Bracey Wright hit foul shots followed Iverson's alleyoop layup with a three-pointer for a 60-51 Karsiyaka deficit. Free throws by Baldo Rossi gave Trento a 62-51 edge after 30 minutes. Jones took over with a four-point play early in the fourth quarter and a layup by Iverson brought Karsiyaka as close as 62-57. Baldo Rossi rescued Trento with 4 quick points and Forray soon gave his team a 69-57 margin with over 4 minutes left. Soner Senturk scored in penetration and free throws by Bracey Wright and Iverson got Karsiyaka within 69-63. Julian Wright nailed a jumper but Gonlum and Senturk brought the guests closer, 71-66, in the next-to-last minute. Bracey Wright shined with an off-balance three-point play, Flaccadori hit 3-of-4 free throws but Carter buried 3-of-3 for a 74-72 score with 25.5 seconds left. Karsiyaka fouled on Forray, who hit both attempts to seal the outcome.