In Game 1 of the Euroleague Top 8 quarterfinal series, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv was defeated by hosts Fenerbahce Ulker 80-72. Pargo led Maccabi with 25 points and 8 rebounds.
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By Amy Samin
In Game 1 of the Euroleague Top 8 quarterfinal series, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv was defeated by hosts Fenerbahce Ulker 80-72. Jeremy Pargo led Maccabi with 25 points and 8 rebounds, Yogev Ohayon contributed 12 points, Alex Tyus had a double double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Devin Smith added 10 points.
Yogev Ohayon, Jeremy Pargo, Devin Smith, Brian Randle, and Sofo Schortsanitis were the starters for Maccabi. All five of the starters scored in the early minutes of the game, running the visitors to 11-2. The Turks woke up and battled their way back to within three, 13-10 with three minutes left in the period. Ohayon scored from downtown, and Pargo served up a long pass to Randle for points on the fast break, then drove to the basket to end the period with Maccabi leading 22-16.
Fenerbahce closed to four at the start of the second quarter, but a cross court pass by Pargo to Ohayon on the right wing opened Maccabi’s lead back up. Pargo and Smith added points in the paint, and a trey by Pargo made it 32-25 close to the halfway mark. Pargo and Tyus supplied the points for Maccabi for the rest of the half, keeping the yellow’s lead close to seven until points by Vesely at the buzzer put the hosts within four, 42-38 going into the break.
The second half started with points by Ohayon and Tyus extending Maccabi’s lead to 46-39. Four straight points by Randle and buckets from Pargo and Tyus in the paint put Maccabi’s lead at eleven halfway through the period, 54-43. Fenerbahce decided it was time to make a move, going on a 16-4 scoring run until the quarter ended with the Turks holding their first lead of the game, 59-58.
The hosts extended their lead to four at the start of the fourth quarter, but a trey by Haynes made it a one point game. Fenerbahce continued to control the tempo, however, and led 66-61 midway through the period. Pargo added two in the paint and two from the foul line, and Smith sank a three from the left corner, but it wasn’t enough as Fenerbahce Ulker defeated Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv 80-72 in the first game of the best of five quarterfinal series. Game 2 will take place in Istanbul on Thursday night.
