By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
On a season full of ups and downs so far, Partizan needed a morale boost and got it just in time against Fenerbahce BEKO.
The Serbs got the 90-81 win, dropping the Turkish team further away from the top, as Fener now has a 10-7 record, having played one game less and Partizan has a solid 8-10 that gives hope for the second part of the season.
Duane Washington with 27 points had his best EuroLeague game yet for Partizan. Carlik Jones added 14 points, five rebounds plus five assists, and Tyrique Jones had 13.
“Teammates believed in me, coaches believed in me and it was a great team win, starting from our defense”, said Washington after the game.
For the losing side, Nigel Hayes-Davis scored 19 points, Marko Guduric scored 14 and Sertac Sanli added 12 but couldn’t turn the tide.
Partizan in control, Saras ejected
The game was a dogfight from the first quarter, with Fenerbahce getting a 17-13 lead and Partizan closing the period up by four (25-21).
However, Partizan managed to get an 11-point cushion (38-27) after four minutes of action in the second quarter, keeping Fenerbahce’s offense in check. The Serbs kept their distance, leading 47-38 at halftime with Carlik Jones scoring 12 points.
Of course, Fenerbahce had to react and did exactly that, closing the gap to two points (54-52) with Nigel Hayes-Davis scoring 11 points and Sertac Sanli adding 10 up to this point. Partizan’s answer was five quick points (59-52) and at the end of the third quarter the Serbs were up by eight (65-57).
Nothing clicked for the Fenerbahce for the rest of the way, or if you prefer Partizan kept their distance until the end, with coach Sarunas Jasikevicius getting ejected from the game with a second technical foul after stepping into the court and complaining to the referee.
If it was a try to wake up his team, it simply didn’t work, as Partizan was leading 75-63 with six minutes left and nothing changed until the final buzzer.
Photo credit: EuroLeague