TBL Round 8 (Regular Season): Mersin Spor beats Kipas in the most crucial game of the week

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Kahramanmaras. Top-ranked Mersin Spor faced second-ranked Kipas. Guests from Mersin (7-0) defeated host Kipas (6-2) 85-73. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Kipas. Mersin Spor made 18-of-18 free shots (100 percent !!!) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. The best player for the winners was American power forward Kruize Pinkins (203-1993, college: USF) who had a double-double by scoring 27 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). The other American import point guard Mike Smith (180-1997, college: Michigan, agency: Octagon Europe) chipped in 21 points and 11 assists (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). American point guard Brandon Jefferson (175-1991, college: MSU Denver) produced 28 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!) for the hosts. Undefeated Mersin Spor have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 7-0 record. Kipas at the other side dropped to the third place with two games lost. They share the position with Haremspor. Mersin Spor are looking forward to face TED Ankara (#11) at home in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Kipas will play against Buyukcekmece (#7) in Istanbul and is hoping to prove to their fans that the loss was just an accident.
Sixteenth-ranked Konya BBSK (1-6) made lots of trouble for fourth ranked Goztepe (6-1). The visitors from Izmir managed to secure only two-point victory 90-88. However their fans expected much easier game. American-Central African guard Isaiah Washington (185-1998, college: LBSU) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists. Ragip Berke-Atar contributed with 15 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Goztepe's coach Nehir Berk allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Yigit Coban (208-2002) replied with 26 points and 5 rebounds for Konya BBSK. Goztepe moved-up to second place. Konya BBSK lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the sixteenth position with six games lost. Goztepe will play against Final Spor (#5) in Bursa in the next round. Konya BBSK will play at home against iLab (#8) to get more than just one victory in their record.
A very close game took place in Istanbul between iLab and Ankaragucu. Ninth ranked iLab (4-3) got a very close home victory over 8th ranked Ankaragucu (3-4). iLab managed to escape with a 3-point win 95-92 on Saturday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Ankaragucu. Worth to mention a great performance of Eray Akyuz who helped to win the game recording 39 points (!!!) and 8 assists. Jacob Pullen responded with 23 points and 7 assists. Ankaragucu's coach Mustafa Aydanarig tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. iLab moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Gaziantep and Buyukcekmece. Loser Ankaragucu dropped to the ninth position with four games lost. They share it with Ormanspor. iLab will meet Konya BBSK (#16) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ankaragucu will play against Gaziantep (#6) and hope to secure a win.

Rest of the games of round 8 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Haremspor defeated TED Ankara in Istanbul 72-66. Balikesir BBS was beaten by Cedi Osman at home 79-89. Buyukcekmece lost to Darussafaka on the opponent's court 85-90. Fenerbahce 2 unfortunately lost to Ormanspor in a home game 70-77. Final Spor managed to beat Kecioren on the road 89-85.
The best stats of 8th round was 14 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists by Dogan Senli of Konya BBSK.



TED Ankara - Haremspor 66-72:
There was no surprise when 10th ranked TED Ankara (3-5) was defeated at home by fourth ranked Haremspor (6-2) 72-66 on Saturday. Haremspor looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of Hakan Yapar (202-1984) who helped to win the game recording 12 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists and Senegalese center Abdoulaye Gueye (206-1994, college: Georgia Tech) who added 18 points and 6 rebounds during the contest. Haremspor's coach Faruk Besok used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Zimbabwean power forward Vitalis Chikoko (208-1991) responded with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds and swingman Burak Erol (197-1988) scored 11 points and 8 rebounds. Four TED Ankara players scored in double figures. Haremspor moved-up to third place, which they share with Kipas. Loser TED Ankara dropped to the eleventh position with five games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Haremspor will meet at home Balikesir BBS (#15) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. TED Ankara will play against the league's leader Mersin Spor (#1) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
TED Ankara: V.Chikoko 14+10reb+1ast, B.Erol 11+8reb+3ast, B.Genc 11+9reb, M.Watson 10+2reb+9ast, G.Yazicioglu 8+3reb, A.Tan 7+3reb+2ast
Haremspor: G.Abdoulaye 18+6reb+1ast, H.Cavit 14+1reb+5ast, Y.Hakan 12+7reb+6ast, S.Sam 7+2reb+5ast, T.Metin 6+5reb+1ast, G.Alihan 6+2reb+3ast

Balikesir BBS - Cedi Osman 79-89:
Everything could happen at the game between two tied teams. Both thirteenth ranked Cedi Osman and 14th ranked Balikesir BBS had identical 2-5 record. But Balikesir BBS was not able to use a home court advantage and lost to the opponent from Istanbul 89-79 on Sunday night. Cedi Osman made 18-of-23 free shots (78.3 percent) during the game. Worth to mention a great performance of swingman Omercan Engin (198-1998) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds and forward Umut Gecen (199-1997) who added 16 points and 4 assists during the contest. Four Cedi Osman players scored in double figures. American point guard Christian Bradford (185-1995, college: Radford) responded with 13 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists and his fellow American import forward Jaquan Scott (203-2001, college: UAPB) scored 19 points. Balikesir BBS's coach Semih Soguksu rotated twelve players in this game, but that didn't help. Cedi Osman (3-5) moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with 3 other teams. Loser Balikesir BBS dropped to the fifteenth position with six games lost. Cedi Osman will meet at home bottom-ranked Kecioren (#17) in the next round where they are favorite. Balikesir BBS will play against Haremspor and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Balikesir BBS: J.Scott 19+2reb, C.Bradford 13+8reb+5ast, E.Gokturk 13+3reb, U.Ertan 9+4reb+1ast, C.Kucukozkan 8+3reb+2ast, O.Atun 6+9reb+2ast
Cedi Osman: E.Omercan 22+10reb+1ast, G.Umut 16+4reb+4ast, S.Keshun 15+4reb+4ast, A.Ahmet 10+2reb+1ast, E.Ata 10+3reb, A.Yagiz 9+2reb+2ast

Darussafaka - Buyukcekmece 90-85:
There was an upset in Istanbul where higher ranked Buyukcekmece (4-3) was defeated by fourteenth ranked Darussafaka (3-5) 90-85 on Sunday. Worth to mention a great performance of American point guard Josh Sharkey (175-1997, college: Samford) who helped to win the game recording 22 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists and the other American import point guard TreVion Crews (183-1996, college: Bethel, IN) who added 23 points and 7 rebounds (perfect from the field making all nine shots !!!) during the contest. American point guard Jordan Barnes (178-1997, college: Indiana St.) responded with 40 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 4 assists and Ogulcan Baykan (196-1996) scored 9 points and 5 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Darussafaka moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with 3 other teams. Buyukcekmece lost third consecutive game. They keep the sixth position with three games lost. They share it with Gaziantep and iLab. Darussafaka will meet higher ranked Ormanspor (#10) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Buyukcekmece will play against Kipas (#3) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Buyukcekmece: J.Barnes 40+6reb+4ast, J.Ducree 13+4reb, K.Ozel 11+1ast, M.Basturk 10+5reb, O.Baykan 9+5reb+3ast, C.Evran 2+10reb
Darussafaka: C.TreVion 23+7reb+3ast, S.Josh 22+7reb+9ast, I.Karabilen 13+8reb+1ast, S.Mert 10+4reb+2ast, E.Ege 7+1reb, I.Eren 5+1reb+1ast

Fenerbahce 2 - Ormanspor 70-77:
There was a small surprise in Istanbul where twelfth ranked Ormanspor (3-4) beat 10th ranked Fenerbahce 2 (3-5) 77-70 on Friday. Ormanspor made 24-of-27 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game, while Fenerbahce 2 only scored eight points from the stripe. Worth to mention a great performance of American Tobin Carberry (192-1991, college: LIU Post) who helped to win the game recording 25 points and 6 rebounds (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) and the other American import point guard Diante Watkins (175-1990, college: RMU) who added 16 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists during the contest (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). Carberry is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Four Ormanspor players scored in double figures. American center Justyn Hamilton (211-1999, college: Kent St.) responded with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 16 rebounds and Demircan Demir (190-2004) scored 16 points and 4 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Ormanspor moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Ankaragucu. Loser Fenerbahce 2 dropped to the eleventh position with five games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Ormanspor will meet at home Darussafaka (#14) in the next round where they are favorite. Fenerbahce 2 will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Fenerbahce 2: D.Demir 16+1reb+4ast, J.Hamilton 12+16reb+1ast, E.Pratt 10+1reb+6ast, A.Ozbek 9+6reb+3ast, S.Omer 8+1reb, E.Bartu 7+3reb+2ast
Ormanspor: C.Tobin 25+6reb+1ast, W.Diante 16+7reb+6ast, B.Berkan 12+1ast, K.Uzunhasan 10+7reb+1ast, U.Gokturk 4+1ast, D.Tunahan 4+4reb

iLab - Ankaragucu 95-92:
A very close game took place in Istanbul between iLab and Ankaragucu. Ninth ranked iLab (4-3) got a very close home victory over 8th ranked Ankaragucu (3-4). iLab managed to escape with a 3-point win 95-92 on Saturday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Ankaragucu. iLab made 23-of-29 free shots (79.3 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Ankaragucu 34-21 including a 24-12 advantage in defensive rebounds. iLab looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of guard Eray Akyuz (187-2000) who helped to win the game recording 39 points (!!!) and 8 assists and point guard Meric Kuntker (193-2003, college: WOSC) who added 13 points and 6 assists during the contest. Georgian-American point guard Jacob Pullen (183-1989, college: Kansas St., agency: AltusBasket) responded with 23 points and 7 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) and point guard Bora Satir (190-2002) scored 12 points, 5 assists and 4 steals (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). Four iLab and five Ankaragucu players scored in double figures. Ankaragucu's coach Mustafa Aydanarig tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. iLab moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Gaziantep and Buyukcekmece. Loser Ankaragucu dropped to the ninth position with four games lost. They share it with Ormanspor. iLab will meet Konya BBSK (#16) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ankaragucu will play against Gaziantep (#6) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Ankaragucu: J.Pullen 23+2reb+7ast, E.Paltaci 16+1reb, B.Satir 12+2reb+5ast, T.Harris 12+1reb+4ast, H.Inanc 11+7reb, R.Tekin 8+4reb+3ast
iLab: E.Akyuz 39+4reb+8ast, T.Jeremiah 13+6reb+2ast, K.Meric 13+3reb+6ast, D.Cihat 10+9reb+1ast, T.Can 7+4reb+1ast, B.Yucel 7+2ast

Kecioren - Final Spor 85-89:
Not a big story in a game in Baglum where 17th ranked Kecioren (1-7) was defeated by eighth ranked Final Spor (5-3) 89-85 on Saturday. Final Spor forced 22 Kecioren turnovers. Worth to mention a great performance of Tayfun Erulku (192-1994) who helped to win the game recording 26 points and American point guard Fred Cleveland Jr (178-2001, college: NCCU) who added 18 points and 5 assists during the contest. American guard Kahlil Dukes (183-1995, college: Niagara) responded with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 12 assists and Zahid Isaoglu (-2000) scored 21 points (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). Four Kecioren players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Final Spor have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to fifth place. Kecioren lost seventh consecutive game. Newly promoted team stay at the bottom position with seven games lost. Final Spor will meet league's second-placed Goztepe in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Kecioren will play against Cedi Osman (#12) in Istanbul and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Kecioren: I.Zahid 21+4reb+2ast, K.Dukes 14+4reb+12ast, E.Buckner 14+9reb+2ast, A.Birkeser 13+3reb+1ast, H.Avci 8+2reb+1ast, S.Efe 5+4reb+1ast
Final Spor: E.Tayfun 26+3reb+2ast, E.Ali 19+1reb+3ast, C.Fred 18+3reb+5ast, H.Gokay 8+10reb+4ast, A.Kaya 7+1reb+3ast, G.Karl 6+3reb

Kipas - Mersin Spor 73-85:
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Kahramanmaras. Top-ranked Mersin Spor faced second-ranked Kipas. Guests from Mersin (7-0) defeated host Kipas (6-2) 85-73. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Kipas. Mersin Spor made 18-of-18 free shots (100 percent !!!) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. The best player for the winners was American power forward Kruize Pinkins (203-1993, college: USF) who had a double-double by scoring 27 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). The other American import point guard Mike Smith (180-1997, college: Michigan, agency: Octagon Europe) chipped in a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 assists (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). American point guard Brandon Jefferson (175-1991, college: MSU Denver) produced 28 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!) and American-Nigerian power forward Ike Nweke (201-2000, college: Quinnipiac) added 17 points respectively for the hosts. Mersin Spor have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 7-0 record. Kipas at the other side dropped to the third place with two games lost. They share the position with Haremspor. Mersin Spor are looking forward to face TED Ankara (#11) at home in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Kipas will play against Buyukcekmece (#7) in Istanbul and is hoping to prove to their fans that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
Kipas: B.Jefferson 28+5reb+7ast, I.Nweke 17+1reb, D.Celen 13+3reb+1ast, B.Gozeneli 9+2reb+4ast, C.Koray 4+7reb+1ast, I.Avsar 2+1reb+2ast
Mersin Spor: P.Kruize 27+10reb+7ast, S.Mike 21+1reb+11ast, K.Alp 16+4reb+3ast, S.Kaan 9, S.Troy 6+4reb+2ast, T.Arca 2+1ast

Konya BBSK - Goztepe 88-90:
Sixteenth-ranked Konya BBSK (1-6) made lots of trouble for fourth ranked Goztepe (6-1). The visitors from Izmir managed to secure only two-point victory 90-88. However their fans expected much easier game. Goztepe made 24-of-29 charity shots (82.8 percent) during the game. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 24 assists. American-Central African guard Isaiah Washington (185-1998, college: LBSU) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists. Center Ragip Berke-Atar (210-1999) contributed with 15 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Goztepe's coach Nehir Berk allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Yigit Coban (208-2002) replied with 26 points and 5 rebounds and center Dogan Senli (205-1992) added 14 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists in the effort for Konya BBSK. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Goztepe moved-up to second place. Konya BBSK lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the sixteenth position with six games lost. Goztepe will play against Final Spor (#5) in Bursa in the next round. Konya BBSK will play at home against iLab (#8) to get more than just one victory in their record.
Top scorers:
Konya BBSK: C.Yigit 26+5reb+1ast, C.Ivedi 16+8reb+2ast, R.Smith 14+4reb+7ast, D.Senli 14+13reb+4ast, K.Omer 13+3reb+6ast, E.Bayraktar 2+1ast
Goztepe: W.Isaiah 18+6reb+10ast, D.Ahmet 16+1reb, B.Eray 15+2reb, B.Ragip 15+7reb+3ast, T.Jamari 10+9reb+4ast, A.Rijad 7+2reb