Besiktas ColaTurka rallied to pick up its first win of the Eurocup season, beating Asvel Basket 80-74 despite a historic performance from Matt Walsh. Asvel led by 15 in the second quarter and by 6 going into the fourth, but the hosts went on a 15-4 romp and held on down the stretch. Cevher scored 15 and Serhat Cetin 12 to lead the home team’s scorers, helping Besiktas improve to 1-2 with a game at hand against BG Goettingen. Mire Chatman added 11 points and 8 assists and Fedor Likholitov tallied 11 points and 9 rebounds for Besiktas, which visits Hemofarm Stada next week. Walsh locked up the fifth triple-double in Eurocup history with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for Asvel. However he made just 1 of 8 threes and committed 6 turnovers. Andrija Zizic scored 17 for Asvel, Mickael Gelabale posted 15 and 8 rebounds and Cliff Hammonds finished with 10 as Asvel dropped to 1-3 before visiting BG Goettingen next week.

The hosts went inside to Likholitov for a hook and the game’s first points before Gelabale’s fadeaway jumper put the visitors on the scoreboard. Allen Iverson scored in penetration and Michal Ignerski scored from the line to make it 6-2. Walsh took charge for Asvel, dishing twice to teammates for baskets and laying his body out to draw an offensive foul from Iverson. Gelabale connected from downtown to cap a 0-8 push. Likholitov narrowed the gap to 2 from the line, but Asvel kept pushing and soared to 8-16 as Zizic hit from outside and on the offensive glass. Walsh twisted for his first basket and then Gelabale corrected a Walsh miss to make it 12-21 after 10 minutes. Little Hammonds was the next Asvel player to score a second-chance bucket, giving his team a double-digit lead. Iverson got to the line and made 1 and soon came up with a steal, but Asvel simply stretched the lead to 13-25 on a pair of Zizic free throws. Leo Westermann drew an offensive foul from Chatman and a Kim Tillie free throw increased the lead to 15. An A.J. Ogilvy baseline jumper brought the crowd back to the game. Ogilvy soon stole a pass and outleted to Chatman for a layup and then Ozer scored from the line. The Besiktas defense locked up Asvel’s scorers and Ozer rose for a turn-around one-hander to make it 23-30, prompting an Asvel timeout. Davon Jefferson fought for his own miss and scored and then Iverson committed his third foul and sat for the rest of the half as the momentum switched back Asvel’s way. However Ogilvy showed his skill with an offensive rebound and reverse layup and then Chatman fed the big man for a two-handed jam. A missed triple for the visitors set up a Besiktas fast break that Ignerski finished with a rim-rocking slam to make it 31-34. Asvel made sure to restore a more comfortable lead as Zizic scored inside and Gelabale converted a tough three-point play for a 33-39 score at the break.

Iverson helped out on defense, grabbed a rebound and zipped downcourt, but missed a layup at the start of the second half. But that didn’t hurt Besiktas, which battled back through Likholitov and Ignerski. Iverson followed Chatman’s rejected layup to tie the score at 39-39. Asvel bounced back as Walsh hit from behind the arc and Zizic sank a foul-line jumper. Jefferson attacked the basket for a three-point play to complete a 0-8 Asvel run. Chatman finally sank Besiktas’s first three after 15 misses only to see Walsh answer with a pretty jumper. Bekir Yarangume battled back for Besiktas and Iverson created his own shot to stay within 6. Hammonds free throws and a Yarangume slam made it 51-57 going into the fourth quarter. Hammonds connected from deep, but was matched by Cetin, who then set up Ozer to trim the gap to 4. Chatman made a three-pointer to give Besiktas its first lead of the night to the delight of the local fans. After a free throw by Hammonds, Cetin nailed a second triple from the corner as the crown continued to sing. A beautiful bounce pass from Chatman for an Ozer slam lifted the hosts to 66-61 and spurred an Asvel timeout. Gelabale scored on the offensive glass, but the crowd broke into a new set of cheers when Ozer nailed a triple. Likholitov from the line and Cetin with a basket-plus-foul put the hosts up 8. Bangaly Fofana scored inside, but was matched by Likholitov. Gelebale drilled a three and Walsh set up Zizic for a jumper to make it a one-possession game. Cetin sank a big three with 37 seconds left, but Tillie scored quickly to make it 78-74. Chatman was fouled and made 1 at the line. With the game on the line, the Besiktas defense stood tall, Yarangume poked the ball away from Gelabale and made a clutch free throw with 12 seconds left to put his team up 6 and practically seal the win.