Galatasaray fights off Bayern for its first Top 16 win

Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul went on the road to pick up its first Top 16 win, holding off FC Bayern Munich 66-72 on Thursday night. Galatasaray improved to 1-3 for a share of at least the sixth place in Group F, while a second consecutive loss dropped Bayern to 2-2 and fourth place. The visitors took the lead from the get-go, racing to 13-25 margin after only seven minutes. The hosts slowly chipped away at the deficit and grabbed their first lead in the third quarter, 45-43. However, Carlos Arroyo led another Galatasaray’s charge, and with help from Zoran Erceg and Milan Macvan, the visitors held on for victory in front of large contingent of it fans in Munich’s Audi Dome. Arroyo netted 21 points, Erceg collected 19 points plus 10 rebounds, and Macvan had 14 points. Malcolm Delaney finished as Bayern’s top scorer with 12 points and Yassin Idbihi amassed 11 points plus 10 rebounds in only 17 minutes in defeat.

First quarter: Arroyo and Erceg open 12-point lead for Galatasaray

Erceg hit a triple on the opening possession of the game, and Robin Benzing scored on the other end to get the hosts on the scoreboard. Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Arroyo kept Galatasaray with an early lead, while Deon Thompson had pair of buckets for Bayern, before Erceg sank his second triple to make it 6-11. Offenses dominated early as John Bryant scored inside for Bayern, while Erceg replied with a tip-in, and Arroyo buried a fade-away jumper. After Hairston traded close range baskets with Benzing, Arroyo's triple opened a 13-20 lead after only five minutes. The visitors opened a double-digit margin after two more trips down the floor, as Erceg hit a mid-range jumper and Arroyo drove for a reverse layup, helping make it 13-25. Bryce Taylor snapped a 3-12 run with a triple, but Arroyo answered right back from downtown. Boris Savovic added a put-back to the hosts' tally, but Hairston sank a jumper for an 18-30 lead after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Big men keep Bayern in touch

Yassin Idbihi made couple of baskets to open the second quarter, but Erceg hit his third three-pointer for a 22-33 advantage. Bayern cut the deficit with Delaney banking in a jumper, and Lucca Staiger nailing a triple, 27-33. Erceg hit a runner off the glass, and after Chevy Troutman made a layup for the hosts, Ender Arslan drove for a layup and Macvan lifted Galatasary to 29-41 by going 4 for 4 from the foul line. However, Troutman hustled for a pair of put-backs, and Thompson scored from close range, stringing together 7 points for the hosts to close within 36-42 at halftime.

Third quarter: Visitors rebuild advantage into double digits

It took three minutes of the third quarter for Bayern to take its first lead. Staiger made a floater, followed with a mid-range jumper from Idbihi. Benzing hit all 4 of his free throws and it was 44-43. Arroyo snapped the visitor’s drought with a lucky bounce on a three-point attempt, and after Delaney drove for a tough layup, Erceg’s back-to-back put-backs had Galatasaray in front 49-52. The lead kept growing, as a fastbreak layup from Macvan and Arslan’s triple helped extended the margin, and Arroyo hit a pair of free throws to push the lead back into double digits, 51-61 at the end of the third quarter.

Fourth quarter: Macvan and Arroyo hold off Bayern’s final rally

Bryant hit a jumper, and Delaney a triple to quickly halve the deficit, forcing visiting coach Ergin Ataman to call a timeout. Bayern allowed only 1 point in nearly six minutes, while Taylor hit a jumper to make it 58-62. Arroyo drove the lane to end Galatasaray’s drought, but Delaney sank another one from downtown and Idbihi fought his way for a put-back and a 63-64 score. Arroyo beat the shot-clock with a long off-balance jumper, before Idbihi hit from the foul line to keep Bayern within a point. Macvan drove for a layup to keep the visitors in front entering the final minute. After Delaney split free throws 25 second before the end, Sinan Gular hit a pair from the charity stripe and Macvan sealed the deal with a breakaway layup for Galatasaray’s first Top 16 win.