Besiktas keeps flying high in its EuroCup return with a third consecutive win, this one requiring staying power.
Besiktas turns back Cedevita to stay perfect



Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul used its sticky defense to deny repeated comeback attempts by Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana for a 73-66 home win on Wednesday. The victory kept Besiktas perfect at 3-0 in Group A while Cedevita continues looking for its first victory. Besiktas withstood an 0-11 Cedevita surge bridging the last two quarters without giving up the lead, then pulled away to the win. Jonah Mathews paced Besiktas with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Matt Mitchell added 12 points and Berk Ugurlu 11. D.J. Stewart led four Cedevita scorers in double figures with 15 points. Justin Cobbs added 14, Sean Armand and Amadou Sow 10 each. The hosts's advantages of 17-10 advantage in offensive rebounds and 8-13 in turnovers supplied the extra possessions that made the difference.
Four starters scored as Besiktas staked an early 9-3 lead. Cobbs and Jaka Blazic drew Cedevita within 9-7 but Ugurlu kept the hosts ahead and Jonah Mathews struck from deep at 17-11. Armand and Sow answered for the visitors, but Yigit Arslan's first triple was enough to let Besiktas lead 20-17 after 10 minutes. Leyton Hammonds and Mathews kept Besiktas in charge until Luka Scuka and Armand, with a go-ahead triple, gave Cedevita its first lead, 25-27. Stewart's three-pointer made it 27-31 for the visitors but Samet Yigitoglu and Mitchell got Besitkas ahead again. Several lead changes later, Kerem Konan's basket sparked a 7-2 finishing run that kept the hosts in charge 43-38 at the break.
Derek Needham and Mitchell boosted the Besiktas advantage to 49-41 soon after halftime. Angel Delgado's layup supplied the first double-digit lead, 51-41. Karlo Matkovic and Stewart settled Cedevita, but Besiktas bent without breaking until Ugurlu and Matthews made it 59-47. Stewart and Shawn Jones scored the last 5 points of the third quarter, however, for a 59-52 scoreboard entering the fourth. Sow and Jones got Cedevita closer still, then a jumper by Cobbs at 59-58 forced a Besiktas timeout. A goaltending call ended Cedevita's 0-11 run and Mathews dunked off a steal to calm the hosts at 63-58. Mathews matched the next basket by Cobbs to make it 67-60 with 3:17 to play, which proved enough to keep the visitors at bay the rest of the way.