By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
After a great start, Fenerbahce felt the unexpected pressure by Cedevita, but Gigi Datome was always there to keep the hosts in the lead finishing the game with 19 points and making all the big shots on the way to a 86-73 win. Ekpe Udoh had also 17 points, Jan Vesely added 12, while Ricky Hickman and Kostas Sloukas scored 11 each as Fenerbahce remain the only unbeaten team in Top16 after 5 rounds. The bad news for coach Zeljko Obradovic was that both Pero Antic and Sloukas were hurt and it remains to be seen if and how serious their condition is. James White and Miro Bilan had 13 points each for the losing side.
The first period was all Fenerbahce, as the Turks cruised to a 27-12 lead with Udoh scoring 11 points in the first ten minutes of action. Hickman also added 6 points and things seem to be more than easy for the hosts. However, Cedevita was ready for a fight and proved it four minutes later, making it a six points game (31-24) after a shot by Jacob Pullen. Fenerbahce reacted with a 7-2 run (38-26), but at the end of the first half the guests trailed by seven points (40-33) and anything could happen.
That was evident with Pullen reaching the 10 points mark and cuting the lead of Fenerbahce to two points (45-43). Cedevita was close until the end of the third period, still couldn’t tie the score, despite some big shots by White, Fran Pilepic and Bilan. Luigi Datome with 11 points kept the lead for the hosts and with the last made shot of the quarter, Nemanja Gordic made it a one points game (62-61).
It was Datome once more who gave breathing room to Fenerbahce with his second three of the game (65-61). Udoh got back to work and thanks to an other three by Kostas Sloukas the hosts completed a 10-4 run and secured again a double digits lead (75-65). Cedevita made one more run and cut to five (75-70), but Datome was there again to keep the order with a three (78-70) less than four minutes until the final buzzer.