Bursaspor Basketbol hosted Bahçeşehir Koleji in the Türkiye Sigorta Basketbol Süper Ligi, dropping a 90-80 decision on its home floor as the visiting side extended an unbeaten start across domestic and European competition.

Early Stalemate Gives Way to Bahçeşehir Momentum

Action inside the Bursa venue began with both teams struggling to establish offensive rhythm. Scant execution characterized the opening minutes, leaving the scoreboard at 8-7 in favor of the visitors at the five-minute mark. Neither side created separation during a physical opening frame that ended 20-20.

The visiting side seized control in the second period by deploying domestic players on a 7-0 burst to claim a 27-20 lead. Bursaspor responded with defensive stops to pare the margin to two points, forcing an opposition timeout. Out of the huddle, Bahçeşehir executed efficiently, building a 39-31 advantage and carrying a 41-36 lead into halftime behind 10 offensive rebounds and 13 team assists.

Third-Quarter Swings Set Up Final Frame

Bursaspor turned the tide coming out of the locker room. Sparked by Leyton Hammonds and Brandon Taylor, the hosts engineered a sequence that leveled the score at 52-52 midway through the third quarter. Following an exchange of perimeter shots, Bahçeşehir edged ahead 66-60 before the hosts answered with another seven-point run to reclaim the lead. A tense closing stretch of the period left the visitors holding a narrow 69-67 edge heading into the fourth.

Late Fouls and Perimeter Shooting Seal the Decision

The final quarter opened with a technical foul whistled against Bursaspor Basketbol Başantrenörü Grimau Gragera, allowing Bahçeşehir to push the margin to 76-67. Aleksa Avramovic connected on a three-pointer with seven minutes remaining to stretch the gap to 78-69. A subsequent five-point response from Bursaspor trimmed the deficit to 78-74, but the hosts lost Javon Freeman-Liberty to fouls with 6:46 left on the clock.

Malachi Flynn answered with a critical three-pointer down the stretch, and Marcquise Reed converted from the free-throw line as Bahçeşehir maintained an 87-76 cushion with three minutes to play. The Istanbul club closed out the 90-80 victory, moving to 4-0 in the domestic league and stretching its combined record to 7-0 across the BSL and EuroCup this season.

Box Score Standouts in Bursa

Javon Freeman-Liberty led Bursaspor with 20 points and two assists before fouling out. Brandon Taylor orchestrated the offense with 16 points and nine assists, while Leyton Hammonds added 12 points and five rebounds. Nate Watson chipped in 11 points and nine boards for the hosts.

For the victorious visitors, Marcquise Reed paced the scoring with 16 points alongside two rebounds and two assists. Malachi Flynn contributed 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Kenan Sipahi added 11 points, three rebounds, and five assists.