ISTANBUL (FIBA Europe Cup) - Istanbul BBSK survived a late fourth-quarter fightback by s.Oliver Wuerzburg by the slightest of margins, suffering a 76-65 defeat in the return leg but hanging on to win the tie 140-138 on aggregate thanks to their 13-point victory in Germany last week.

Turning Point: Following a couple of three-pointers by Maurice Stuckey, Abdul Gaddy brought the tie level with a long-range shot of his own to push the score to 72-59 with 2 minutes left, but Stefan Bircevic answered with a lay-up on the other end and the Turkish team never went into the red.

Stats Don't Lie: The German side were rewarded for their tough defense by outscoring their opponents 17-8 in fast-break points, but could not contain Istanbul BBSK on the glass, allowing 13 offensive rebounds while notching down just 6 themselves.

Game Hero: Michael Thompson carried the brunt of the load for the home side, scoring a team-high 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field while also adding 6 assists and 3 steals.

Bottom Line: Istanbul BBSK have one more barrier to get past to earn a spot in the FIBA Europe Cup Regular Season, with Ukrainian side Khimik waiting for them in Qualification Round 2.

They Said: "I would like to congratulate s.Oliver Wuerzburg. I think it was one of the toughest matchups for both sides. Taking into consideration both Qualification Rounds, I think they're one of the best teams in the FIBA Europe Cup." - Istanbul BBSK head coach Ertugrul Erdogan.

"It was a really tough game for us. We won the first game by 13 points. We relaxed a little bit too much and we lost by 11 points today. We are now going to play Khimik and, hopefully, after these two games we'll make it to the Group Stage." - Istanbul BBSK forward Ugur Dokuyan.

"Congratulations to our friends from Istanbul BBSK. It was a very close game, anything could have happened. My guys showed tremendous heart, tremendous pride. In the end, either team could have qualified. We are very disappointed that we have not qualified for the next round because we have proven that we belong at the international level. But, again, congratulations to the Turkish fans and we wish them nothing but the best in the Qualification Round 2." - s.Oliver Wuerzburg head coach Dirk Bauermann.

FIBA