Our starting five were Larkin, Weiler-Babb, Cordinier, Ercan and Dessert and we had a fast start, taking a 6-0 lead in the second minute. We scored points in the paint through Ercan and Dessert and entered the fifth minute ahead 14-7. In the second five-minute part of the quarter, both Şehmus and Larkin scored their first points, while Weiler-Babb’s three-pointer set the score for the first 10 minutes: 22-17. We opened the second quarter with two baskets from Cordinier, making it 26-17 in the 13th minute. With a five-point contribution from Dozier, we led 31-23 in the 17th minute. After baskets from Smits and Cordinier in the remaining time, we finished the first half ahead 35-31.

In the second half, we couldn’t score for the first two minutes and fell behind 36-35 in the 22nd minute. We regained our rhythm through Larkin and Ercan and took back the lead in the 24th minute: 41-36. Dozier contributed to the offense during this stretch, and after points by Jones and Loyd, we were up 55-49 by the 29th minute. Dozier had to leave the game due to an injury at that point, and we couldn’t score in the final minute of the quarter, entering the last 10 minutes ahead 55-49. In the final period, we reached a 61-54 lead within the first two minutes with inside points from Smits and Ercan. With baskets from Larkin and Dessert, the score was 67-63 in the 35th minute. We struggled to score in the final five minutes of the quarter; despite Smits and Ercan each scored a point from the free-throw line, we couldn’t maintain our lead and lost the game 78-69.