The big man scored 9 fourth-quarter points in Wednesday’s win
Unsung Marko Simonovic stepped up with big fourth quarter for Bahcesehir
Article
3 Mins read
Bahcesehir College Istanbul has been taking the BKT EuroCup by storm this season with a roster stacked with EuroLeague-level players receiving loads of attention. Marko Simonovic hasn’t been talked about much despite a strong season, and he stepped up big in the fourth quarter of a hard-fought victory.
Bahcesehir never was able to put away ratiopharm Ulm but used a solid fourth quarter to keep the hosts at bay in a 72-80 road win for a fifth straight victory and a 7-1 record atop Group A.
"In the fourth quarter, we really played smart. Throughout the game, we had some good moments but then we had terrible moments,” said Mateusz Ponitka, who tallied 12 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.
Game Videos
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Roby throws down a hammer! Magic Moment
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Essengue swats it away! Magic Moment
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Odiase flies in for the dunk! Magic Moment
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Odiase hammers it home! Magic Moment
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Odiase slams it down! Magic Moment of the Night
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Smith assists, Simonovic slams! Magic Moment
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Teenage hookup: Saraf to Essengue for big alley-oop! Magic Moment
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Odiase's big block! Magic Moment
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Odiase gives Bahcesehir 100 points in style! Magic Moment
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Odiase hammers it home! Magic Moment
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Essengue skies for the block! Magic Moment
- 03:53
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Magic Moment: Roby with a one-handed dunk!
Ponitka was one of four players to score in double figures. Sehmus Hazer poured in 20 points and Tai Odiase added 14 points including a couple of massive dunks.
Still, it was the unsung Simonovic who led the team in scoring in the fourth quarter with 9 of his 11 points. He started with 2 free throws and then knocked down a triple, which turned a tie game into a 7-point lead. The 25-year-old added a push shot in the lane and a reverse layup to keep Bahcesehir up 66-71.
The Montenegro big man then showed up on defense, grabbing big defensive rebounds with 105 and 67 seconds remaining - both times after Ulm had snatched offensive rebounds but failed to convert. He finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds.
Simonovic played the first half of last season in the EuroLeague with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade before moving to the EuroCup in January 2024 and joining Besiktas Istanbul.
The 2.13-meter center also stood out for the Montenegro national team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 and FIBA EuroBasket 2022. Still, he has not been noticed much this season with all the other star talent on Bahcesehir’s roster.
But Simonovic definitely deserves some love as he has now scored in double figures in seven of the team’s eight EuroCup games, averaging 11.6 points per game. He is also shooting 43.5% on three-pointers to go with 82.9% from the foul line as well as 4.6 rebounds.