On a night when others got more of the spotlight, the domestic pair came up with important baskets against Cluj.
Turkish duo Ulubay, Ulusoy showed their worth for Turk Telekom
Article
3 Mins read
It was just last season that Turk Telekom Ankara reached the EuroCup Final, yet heading into Tuesday evening’s Round 10 clash with U-BT Cluj-Napoca, the team found itself with a very disappointing 1-8 record.
Some of Turk Telekom’s star summer signings took to the court against Cluj, but it was two domestic recruits, Okben Ulubay and Ismail Cem Ulusoy, that helped the team get back on the right track.
Shining in the shadows
Turk Telekom ended up coming away with a 95-84 triumph, ending a seven-game losing streak and downing a Cluj side that was an impressive 7-2 prior to Round 10. During the win, Ulubay and Ulusoy chipped in with 12 points apiece, netting a total of 5 triples between them.
The likes of Tyrone Wallace, Steven Enoch and James Palmer understandably generated a lot of excitement among fans of not only Turk Telekom but the EuroCup when they landed in Ankara last summer, however things have not quite gone to plan so far this season.
Turk Telekom, which now has Selcuk Ernak in the hot seat after the dismissal of Nenad Canak after Round 3, has perhaps at last managed to turn a corner. What’s more, with Turkish players like Ulubay and Ulusoy both stepping up to the plate in much the same way as Erkan Yilmaz and Ridvan Oncel last season, it should add a better balance to the team.
That is not to say that Turk Telekom’s star players are not important – of course not – but having more variety to the team’s play should allow Wallace, Enoch, Palmer, Jalen Adams and more to have more success this season, following a horrific first half of the campaign.
Against Cluj, Ulubay and Ulusoy both hit crucial shots in moments to keep the visitors at bay, and their no-fear approach ended up having a positive effect on their teammates. Now, it will be interesting to see if the Turkish duo can once again rise to the occasion as Turk Telekom looks to fulfil its potential in the remainder of this season.