ESSM Le Portel hold off Istanbul BBSK in overtime to clinch Round of 16 berth

ISTANBUL (FIBA Europe Cup) - ESSM Le Portel became the first team to secure a place in the Round of 16 after extending their winning streak in the FIBA Europe Cup to nine games with an 83-80 overtime triumph against Istanbul BBSK on Tuesday.

The French side maintained their unbeaten record in the Second Round intact, moving to 4-0 in Group I with the road win, with their Turkish opponents dropping to a 2-2 mark.

Turning Point: Having allowed Istanbul BBSK back in the game despite leading by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter, Le Portel took care of business in overtime. Trae Golden set the tone early in the extra period with two quick and-one plays, with Tweety Carter making it a 9-0 run with a three-pointer.

Game Hero: Trae Golden did not have the best shooting night, going just 6-of-17 from the field, but found other ways to contribute. He stepped up for the visitors with multiple clutch plays on both ends of the floor in overtime, finishing the contest with 15 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.

Stats Don't Lie: There may not be a better team on the defensive end in the FIBA Europe Cup than ESSM Le Portel, who converted their stops into easy points on the other end, outscoring Istanbul BBSK 21-9 in points in transition.

Bottom Line: With two games remaining in the Second Round, the Eric Girard-coached team from Le Portel are safely through to the Play-Offs, leaving Istanbul BBSK, Nizhny Novgorod and Kataja Basket to fight it out for the remaining ticket in Group I.

They Said: "Congrats to Le Portel for beating us for the second time. We started the game poorly and we played terribly in the first half. In the second half, we played good defense and showed good energy on the court." - Istanbul BBSK head coach Ertugrul Erdogan.

"Istanbul BBSK had a great game against us without Michael Thompson. He is a good playmaker, so this is a good victory for us." - ESSM Le Portel head coach Eric Girard.

FIBA