TBL Round 9 (Regular Season): Top-ranked Mersin Spor wins another game

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

TBL top team - Mersin Spor (8-0) had no problems winning another game on Saturday. This time they crushed twelfth ranked TED Ankara (3-6) 100-65. Mersin Spor made 16-of-17 free shots (94.1 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. It was a good game for swingman Kaan Sariaslan (192-1997) who led his team to a victory with 17 points and 5 assists (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). American point guard Mike Smith (180-1997, college: Michigan, agency: Octagon Europe) contributed with 16 points and 5 assists for the winners. American point guard Maurice Watson (178-1993, college: Creighton) answered with 13 points and 5 assists for TED Ankara. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Undefeated Mersin Spor have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. They maintain first place with 8-0 record. TED Ankara at the other side dropped to the thirteenth position with six games lost. They share it with Darussafaka. Mersin Spor are looking forward to face Balikesir BBS (#16) on the road in the next round which should be another easy win for them. TED Ankara will play against Buyukcekmece and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
The game in Istanbul was also worth to mention about. Fourth ranked Kipas (7-2) played at the court of 7th ranked Buyukcekmece (4-4). Kipas managed to secure a 8-point victory 78-70. American-Nigerian power forward Ike Nweke (201-2000, college: Quinnipiac) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) for the winners and Ismet Avsar chipped in 19 points and 4 steals. Kipas' coach Candost Volkan allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. The best for the losing side was American power forward Julien Ducree (206-1997, college: Utah Tech) with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds. Kipas moved-up to third place, which they share with Haremspor. Buyukcekmece lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the seventh position with four games lost. They share it with Ormanspor and iLab. Kipas will play against Ormanspor (#9) in Ankara in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Buyukcekmece will play on the road against TED Ankara and hopes to get back on the winning track.
A very close game took place in Ankara between Ormanspor and Darussafaka. Eleventh ranked Ormanspor (4-4) got a very close home victory over 12th ranked Darussafaka (3-6). Ormanspor managed to escape with a 2-point win 92-90 on Saturday evening. American players dominated the game. Diante Watkins nailed a double-double by scoring 34 points (!!!), 5 rebounds and 12 assists (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!) for the winning side. Ormanspor's coach Ceyhun Cabadak used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Josh Sharkey came up with a double-double by scoring 23 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists for Darussafaka in the defeat. The victory was the third consecutive win for Ormanspor. They moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Buyukcekmece and iLab. Loser Darussafaka dropped to the thirteenth position with six games lost. They share it with TED Ankara. Ormanspor will meet higher ranked Kipas (#3) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Darussafaka will have a break next round.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 9: bottom-ranked Kecioren was beaten by Cedi Osman on the road 76-73. Goztepe won against Final Spor on its own court 87-82. Balikesir BBS unfortunately lost to Haremspor in Istanbul 73-77. Konya BBSK rolled over iLab at home 104-80. Gaziantep defeated Ankaragucu on the opponent's court 71-62.



Buyukcekmece - Kipas 70-78:
The game in Istanbul was also worth to mention about. Fourth ranked Kipas (7-2) played at the court of 7th ranked Buyukcekmece (4-4). Kipas managed to secure a 8-point victory 78-70. Kipas players were unselfish on offense dishing 24 assists. American-Nigerian power forward Ike Nweke (201-2000, college: Quinnipiac) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) for the winners and point guard Ismet Avsar (192-1999, agency: BIG) chipped in 19 points and 4 steals. Four Kipas players scored in double figures. Kipas' coach Candost Volkan allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. The best for the losing side was American power forward Julien Ducree (206-1997, college: Utah Tech) with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds and the other American import point guard Jordan Barnes (178-1997, college: Indiana St.) scored 19 points and 5 rebounds. Kipas moved-up to third place, which they share with Haremspor. Buyukcekmece lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the seventh position with four games lost. They share it with Ormanspor and iLab. Kipas will play against Ormanspor (#9) in Ankara in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Buyukcekmece will play on the road against TED Ankara and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Kipas: N.Ike 19+10reb+1ast, A.Ismet 19+4reb+2ast, J.Brandon 10+2reb+5ast, G.Burak 10+2reb+7ast, T.Batin 9+6reb+1ast, K.Cekici 7+2reb+7ast
Buyukcekmece: J.Ducree 22+10reb+1ast, J.Barnes 19+5reb+3ast, M.Basturk 13+4reb+2ast, K.Ozel 5+3reb+8ast, E.Koyun 4+2reb+1ast, G.Akkoyun 3+2reb

Cedi Osman - Kecioren 76-73:
No shocking result in a game when twelfth ranked Cedi Osman (4-5) edged bottom-ranked Kecioren (1-8) in Istanbul 76-73 on Saturday. However just three-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. Cameroonian forward Benoit Mbala (200-1995) nailed 13 points and 9 rebounds for the winning side and American point guard Keshun Sherrill (175-1994, college: Augusta) accounted for 13 points and 5 assists. American center Eric Buckner (208-1990, college: Georgia St.) came up with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists and Zahid Isaoglu (-2000) added 11 points and 6 rebounds respectively for Kecioren in the defeat. Five Cedi Osman and four Kecioren players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Cedi Osman moved-up to tenth place. Kecioren lost their eighth game in a row. They stay at the bottom position with eight games lost. Cedi Osman will meet higher ranked Final Spor (#6) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Kecioren will play against Haremspor (#4) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Cedi Osman: S.Keshun 13+3reb+5ast, S.Omer 13+5reb+2ast, M.Benoit 13+9reb+3ast, G.Umut 11+3reb+5ast, E.Omercan 11+3reb+1ast, I.Ali 6+6reb
Kecioren: E.Buckner 20+11reb+6ast, K.Dukes 18+1ast, A.Birkeser 14+5reb, I.Zahid 11+6reb+2ast, G.Oktay 6+3reb, T.Oguzhan 3

Goztepe - Final Spor 87-82:
Rather expected game when 6th ranked Final Spor (5-4) lost to third ranked Goztepe (7-1) in Izmir 82-87 on Sunday. Goztepe looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. Bosnian Rijad Avdic (203-1998) nailed 15 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for the winning side and Ahmet Cantitiz (193-1992) accounted for 8 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. American point guard Fred Cleveland Jr (178-2001, college: NCCU) came up with 24 points and 7 assists and Tayfun Erulku (192-1994) added 15 points and 7 assists respectively for Final Spor in the defeat. Four Final Spor players scored in double figures. Final Spor's coach Berat Gok rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. The victory was the third consecutive win for Goztepe. They moved-up to second place. Loser Final Spor keeps the sixth position with four games lost. Goztepe will meet iLab (#8) in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Final Spor will play against Cedi Osman and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Goztepe: A.Rijad 15+9reb+5ast, B.Ragip 14+3reb+2ast, S.Emir 10+3reb+4ast, W.Isaiah 10+2ast, D.Ahmet 9+7reb+1ast, B.Eray 8+1reb+1ast
Final Spor: F.Cleveland Jr. 24+4reb+7ast, T.Erulku 15+2reb+7ast, G.Hacioglu 14+8reb+1ast, A.Efe Baris 12+5reb+2ast, C.Ozcan 6+3reb, K.Gamble II 6+8reb

Haremspor - Balikesir BBS 77-73:
Very predictable result when fourth ranked Haremspor (7-2) won against 15th ranked Balikesir BBS (2-7) in Istanbul 77-73 on Saturday. However just four-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. Haremspor made 27-of-31 free shots (87.1 percent) during the game, while Balikesir BBS only scored eight points from the stripe. American point guard Sam Sessoms (182-1999, college: Coppin St.) nailed 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the winning side and swingman Cavit Havsa (195-1997, college: Rice) accounted for 22 points. Four Haremspor players scored in double figures. American forward Jaquan Scott (203-2001, college: UAPB) came up with 21 points and 8 rebounds and point guard Ahmet Gunes (-2004, agency: Octagon Europe) added 11 points and 6 assists respectively for Balikesir BBS in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Haremspor moved-up to third place, which they share with Kipas. Balikesir BBS lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the sixteenth position with seven games lost. Haremspor will meet bottom-ranked Kecioren (#17) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Balikesir BBS will play against the league's leader Mersin Spor and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Haremspor: H.Cavit 22+4reb+1ast, S.Sam 21+5reb+4ast, S.Atakan 10+1reb, G.Abdoulaye 10+3reb, Y.Hakan 6+5reb+1ast, T.Metin 3+4reb+1ast
Balikesir BBS: J.Scott 21+8reb, A.Gunes 11+2reb+6ast, B.Berke Tunc 9+4reb, K.Muhammet 9+5reb+1ast, C.Kucukozkan 8+3reb+3ast, O.Atun 6+4reb+1ast

Konya BBSK - iLab 104-80:
There was an upset when higher ranked iLab (4-4) was outscored on the road by sixteenth ranked Konya BBSK (2-6) 104-80 on Sunday. Konya BBSK outrebounded iLab 42-26 including a 30-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. Konya BBSK shot the lights out from three sinking 20 long-distance shots on high 51.3 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. American guard Robert Smith (186-2001, college: Delaware St.) nailed 30 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists for the winning side and point guard Omer Kucuk (188-2001) accounted for 25 points, 9 assists and 4 steals. Konya BBSK's coach Mustafa Altincizme felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. point guard Meric Kuntker (193-2003, college: WOSC) came up with 18 points and 8 assists and American center Jeremiah Tilmon Jr (208-1998, college: Missouri) added 19 points respectively for iLab in the defeat. Five Konya BBSK and four iLab players scored in double figures. Konya BBSK moved-up to fifteenth place. Loser iLab dropped to the seventh position with four games lost. They share it with Ormanspor and Buyukcekmece. Konya BBSK will meet higher ranked Gaziantep (#5) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. iLab will play against the league's second-placed Goztepe where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Konya BBSK: S.Robert 30+6reb+7ast, O.Kucuk 25+3reb+9ast, I.Cengizhan 22+8reb+1ast, S.Dogan 13+4reb+1ast, Y.Coban 11+12reb+2ast, B.Enes 2+2reb
iLab: J.Tilmon Jr. 19+3reb+3ast, M.Kuntker 18+1reb+8ast, Y.Basaran 14+2reb+4ast, B.Acar 10+9reb, C.Turgut 9+3reb+1ast, K.Turk 7+3reb+1ast

Mersin Spor - TED Ankara 100-65:
TBL top team - Mersin Spor (8-0) had no problems winning another game on Saturday. This time they crushed twelfth ranked TED Ankara (3-6) 100-65. Mersin Spor made 16-of-17 free shots (94.1 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. It was a good game for swingman Kaan Sariaslan (192-1997) who led his team to a victory with 17 points and 5 assists (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). American point guard Mike Smith (180-1997, college: Michigan, agency: Octagon Europe) contributed with 16 points and 5 assists for the winners. Four Mersin Spor players scored in double figures. American point guard Maurice Watson (178-1993, college: Creighton) answered with 13 points and 5 assists and Zimbabwean power forward Vitalis Chikoko (208-1991) added 11 points in the effort for TED Ankara. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Mersin Spor have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. They maintain first place with 8-0 record. TED Ankara at the other side dropped to the thirteenth position with six games lost. They share it with Darussafaka. Mersin Spor are looking forward to face Balikesir BBS (#16) on the road in the next round which should be another easy win for them. TED Ankara will play against Buyukcekmece and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Top scorers:
Mersin Spor: S.Kaan 17+1reb+5ast, S.Mike 16+1reb+5ast, O.Yesukan 12+3reb+1ast, S.Troy 11+8reb, S.Yigit 11+3reb+2ast, P.Kruize 9+4reb+1ast
TED Ankara: M.Watson 13+5ast, V.Chikoko 11+4reb+2ast, B.Genc 8+2reb, B.Erol 8+4reb+4ast, A.Tan 6+8reb, C.Ercan 6+4reb+1ast

Ankaragucu - Gaziantep 62-71:
Everything went according to plan when sixth ranked Gaziantep (5-3) defeated on the road 11th ranked Ankaragucu (3-5) 71-62 on Saturday. Gaziantep dominated down low during the game scoring 38 of its points in the paint compared to Ankaragucu's 16. Gaziantep looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The former international center Samet Geyik (205-1993) nailed a double-double by scoring 12 points and 11 rebounds for the winning side and power forward Emre Tanisan (206-1999) accounted for 12 points. American point guard Tyler Harris (175-1998, college: S.Florida, agency: Octagon Europe) came up with 26 points and 6 rebounds (went 12 for 12 at the free throw line !!!) and Georgian-American point guard Jacob Pullen (183-1989, college: Kansas St., agency: AltusBasket) added 16 points respectively for Ankaragucu in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Gaziantep moved-up to fifth place. Loser Ankaragucu keeps the eleventh position with five games lost. They share it with Fenerbahce 2. Gaziantep will meet at home Konya BBSK (#15) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ankaragucu will play against Fenerbahce 2 (#12) in Istanbul and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Gaziantep: I.Erdem 12+1reb+1ast, G.Samet 12+11reb+3ast, T.Emre 12+4reb, G.Jarmar 8+1reb+3ast, S.Scoochie 8+4reb+2ast, Y.Utku 7+4reb
Ankaragucu: T.Harris 26+6reb+1ast, J.Pullen 16+2reb+3ast, A.Atakan 8+4reb+1ast, T.Kay 4+3reb+1ast, H.Inanc 3+2reb+2ast, I.Pinarer 2+5reb+2ast

Ormanspor - Darussafaka 92-90:
A very close game took place in Ankara between Ormanspor and Darussafaka. Eleventh ranked Ormanspor (4-4) got a very close home victory over 12th ranked Darussafaka (3-6). Ormanspor managed to escape with a 2-point win 92-90 on Saturday evening. Ormanspor made 18-of-21 free shots (85.7 percent) during the game. American players dominated the game. point guard Diante Watkins (175-1990, college: RMU) nailed a double-double by scoring 34 points (!!!), 5 rebounds and 12 assists (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!) for the winning side and Tobin Carberry (192-1991, college: LIU Post) accounted for 18 points and 7 rebounds. Carberry is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Ormanspor's coach Ceyhun Cabadak used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. point guard Josh Sharkey (175-1997, college: Samford) came up with a double-double by scoring 23 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists and point guard TreVion Crews (183-1996, college: Bethel, IN) added 28 points and 5 rebounds (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) respectively for Darussafaka in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The victory was the third consecutive win for Ormanspor. They moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Buyukcekmece and iLab. Loser Darussafaka dropped to the thirteenth position with six games lost. They share it with TED Ankara. Ormanspor will meet higher ranked Kipas (#3) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Darussafaka will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Ormanspor: W.Diante 34+5reb+12ast, C.Tobin 18+7reb+3ast, G.Mustafa 13+6reb+2ast, U.Gokturk 13+3reb, B.Tolga 8+12reb+1ast, D.Tunahan 4+2reb+1ast
Darussafaka: T.Crews 28+5reb+1ast, J.Sharkey 23+10reb+6ast, A.Ene 12+1reb+1ast, E.Ilyem 10+1reb, M.Sert 9+11reb+2ast, E.Eskinazi 4+2reb+1ast