A good start is not enough for Ratiopharm Ulm to win at Besiktas Istanbul: the team is clearly defeated in the Eurocup and the chances of progressing have decreased.
Basketball Bundesliga team Ratiopharm Ulm lost to Besiktas Istanbul 76:97 (26:26, 12:21, 20:22, 18:28) in the Eurocup, the second strongest European club competition. The chances of making it into the top six of Group B and thus moving into the next round are rather slim for the eighth-placed Ulm team with five match days still remaining. Next week (January 14th) they will welcome sixth-placed Chemnitz for a duel with a final-like feel.
Ulm got off to a good start in the game
Ty Harrelson, the Ulm coach, demanded “energy” from his team immediately before the start of the game. And his players proved that they understood this mission. They performed bravely against the favored Istanbul team and posed problems for the top team from Turkey. Above all, Christopher Ledlum (the best thrower in Ulm with 17 points) was initially difficult for the Turkish defense to get under control. They held a narrow lead most of the time until midway through the second quarter.
Besiktas Istanbul pulls away
But then they gradually lost control of the game. Istanbul put together a 17 to 4 run and pulled away thanks to an outstanding Ante Zizic. Besiktas, the two-time Turkish champions, had recently lost two times in a row in the Eurocup and wanted to give their fans in the home arena a reason to celebrate after defeats at the Chemnitz 99ers (95:97) and the London Lions (96:98).
Ulm braces itself against defeat
And so the half-time score from the Swabians’ perspective was 38 to 47. After the break, Ulm struggled, while Istanbul managed almost everything offensively. The hosts extended their lead to 16 points midway through the third quarter. Above all, Vitto Brown came to the fore, scoring 26 points that evening, more than anyone else. Although the people of Ulm braced themselves against the impending defeat, they were no longer able to avert it.
Ratiopharm Ulm continues in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Then the Basketball Lions Braunschweig will be guests on the Danube.
