By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Virtus Bologna once again proved to be the biggest hit at the opening of the 2023/24 EuroLeague season, recording their seventh win to trail only Real Madrid and Barcelona in the standings.
Luca Banchi’s side improved their overall score to 7-3 with an 87-79 win over Fenerbahce at Segafredo Arena, handing the Istanbul team their fourth consecutive defeat. The guests finished the match without coach Dimitris Itoudis on the sidelines, as he got ejected in the third quarter after receiving two quick technical fouls for protesting to the referees.
Not even that gave a much-needed spark to his side, as Virtus stayed in command until the end.
Tornike Shengelia was once again the crucial player for Virtus, finishing the match with 15 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, for a team-high PIR of 21.
“This win goes to the guys we miss, but it’s not about who we have and who we miss; it’s about personality and mentality that we play with, this identity to fight every game. Really proud of my team. We understood that defensively we need to be smart and know how to use fouls. Offensively, every time we moved the ball, we had options,” Shengelia said after the victory of his team which was playing without Isaia Cordiner and Jordan Mickey.
Daniel Hackett followed the Georgian power forward with 14 points and six assists, as Ognjen Dobric added 11, and Devontea Cacok 10 points, with seven rebounds for the winning side.
Johnathan Motley’s great game didn’t help Fenerbahce end the losing streak, as the US center finished the match with 25 points and eight rebounds, for a game-high PIR of 31. Scottie Wilbekin with 13 and Nigel Hayes Davis with 10 points followed him.
Tyler Dorsey wasn’t used in the game due to coach’s decision and Nick Calathes registered his 3000th career point in the EuroLeague but this milestone wasn’t celebrated with a “W”.
Banchi: “It’s difficult to beat us in Bologna”
The head coach of Virtus Bologna, Luca Banchi, pointed out the defensive effort of his team and emphasized that it’s not easy for the guests coming to Bologna looking for a win.
“With incredible effort. In the second half, we made an impressive step up defensively to limit their offensive efficiency. Keeping a team like Fenerbahce to these numbers, it’s something to underline. Our win was connected with the defensive end, plus the humility to share the ball better in offense, to find the best solutions, being able to control the rhythm better than in the first half,” coach Luca Banchi said., underlining: “I believe it’s difficult to beat us in Bologna.”
Instead of the ejected coach Itoudis, his assistant Stefanos Dedas shared his thoughts after the game, pointing out that Fenerbahce reacted well to the coach’s expulsion.
“As a group, we reacted well when referees sent off Dimitris Itoudis. Defensively, the fourth quarter was our best one, as we can see in the score. We also had some crucial offensive rebounds missed; they took them. We couldn’t translate our great effort into a few more baskets in the open court, but the game went to two possessions. They hit big shots, and combining with the rebounds we lost, brought us the defeat,” the Greek tactician said.
Despite another loss, and falling to a 5-5 score in the EuroLeague standings, Dedas believes that better times are ahead for the Istanbul team, especially with numerous injured players returning to the court.
“The positive is that people are coming back, like Sertac Sanli, Marko Guduric, and Nick Calathes. Even if we didn’t win today, we are going to have a great period from now on, and this is the message for our organization and our fans.”
Photo: euroleaguebasketball.net