Fenerbahce Tarfin Istanbul overcame a disastrous start to beat Olympiacos Piraeus 64-61 at SUNEL Arena in Athens on Friday, October 23, leaning on its defense to secure a narrow EuroLeague victory in a low-scoring contest.
Saras Jasikevicius’ team entered the game allowing the second-fewest points in the competition at 74.5 per game. After scoring just eight points in the opening quarter and trailing by 10 at halftime, Fenerbahce held Olympiacos to 12 points in the fourth quarter and finished the game on an 8-0 run.
The hosts started without Jean Montero, Tyler Dorsey and Evan Fournier, relying on their frontcourt to establish control. Sasha Vezenkov and Nikola Milutinov helped Olympiacos exploit its interior strength as Fenerbahce struggled to score. The Reds went on a 17-0 run while Tyson Ward stepped up in the backcourt, leaving the visitors with a season-low eight points in the first quarter.
Olympiacos then endured its own scoring drought, going without a point for the first five and a half minutes of the second quarter. Vezenkov’s return sparked a 10-1 run, but Wade Baldwin IV and Shavon Shields responded to help Fenerbahce reduce the deficit to 34-24 at halftime. The visitors’ 24 first-half points were also a season low.
The game opened up after the break, with Shane Larkin scoring eight quick points to help Fenerbahce swing the momentum. Vezenkov kept Olympiacos in front, however, and the hosts carried a 49-45 lead into the final quarter.
Fenerbahce’s defense then made the difference. Olympiacos managed only 12 points in the fourth, while Shields and Baldwin led the visitors’ late push. Fenerbahce closed on an 8-0 run to take control, and Vezenkov missed a three-pointer that could have forced overtime.
Shields led Fenerbahce with 17 points, shooting 3-for-5 from three-point range and making all four of his free throws. Baldwin added 14 points and five assists, while Larkin finished with 13 points and five assists. Fenerbahce shot 10-for-33 from beyond the arc and committed eight turnovers.
Vezenkov led all scorers with 17 points and added 10 rebounds for Olympiacos, while Codi Miller-McIntyre scored 12 and Ward contributed 11. The Reds shot 7-for-25 from three-point range and finished with 13 turnovers.
The win improved Fenerbahce to 6-1, keeping it second in the standings behind Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. Olympiacos fell to 5-2 and fourth place.
Fenerbahce visits Valencia Basket on Tuesday, while Olympiacos travels to Besiktas Istanbul on Wednesday.
