By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Johnathan Motley posted 23 points and 11 rebounds as Fenerbahce Beko beat Virtus Bologna 88 – 75 to bounce back to EuroLeague wins and improve its overall record to 14-9. Virtus, that was without leading performer Tornike Shengelia, fell to 15-8.
“I said at the half that if we play defense we’ll win the game,” Motley said in the post-game presser. His team didn’t just get the victory but also the tiebreaker that may be crucial in the final standings. “And we came out, gave up nine points and that was good.”
Scottie Wilbekin had 15 points plus six assists and Marko Guduric added 10 points for Fenerbahce. The Turkish side trailed 21 – 30 early in the second period but put on a strong response to close halftime 52 – 47. After the break, the team greatly increased its defensive output to go up even by 18 points (71 – 53) and remained in control for the rest of the game.
Transformation on defense
“Defensively, it’s a tale of two halves,” Fener coach Sarunas Jasikevicius. “In the first half we weren’t playing good defense, only surviving on our offense. We turned it around in the second half, started picking up the physicality, stole some balls and pushed them out of their positions by denying their wings. Great performance by our team in the second half.”
Iffe Lundberg led Virtus with 17 points. Isaia Cordinier contributed 11 points, four rebounds and four assists while Daniel Hackett dropped 11 points as well.
“We had to respond,” Virtus coach Luca Banchi commented on his team’s inability to counter Fener‘s defensive intensity after the break. “We know they are a home team. They can move the game at that level of physicality. The referees of course allowed that level of contact. We have to respond with better consistency. We were ineffective in the way we played, especially offensively in the second half. We stepped on the court very passive and missed many shots around the basket. Congratulations to Fener.”