Banvit seeks berth in Eurocup quarterfinal

PODGORICA, Montenegro

Banvit is second after Spartak in the Group K of the Top 16 stage. Buducnost and Krka are trailing the Turkish side. DHA photo

Turkey’s Banvit visits Buducnost tonight, hoping to win a berth in the quarterfinals of the Eurocup.

Banvit, hailing from the Bandırma district of the northwestern Turkish province Balıkesir, has been enjoying its best season in European competition and aims to one-up its current club record.

Russia’s Spartak leads Group K

Spartak St. Petersburg of Russia leads Group K of the Eurocup, the second-tier competition in European club basketball, with three wins in as many games. Banvit is second with a 2-1 winning record while Buducnost is third with only one win.

Slovenian side Krka Novo Mesto is in fourth spot and is yet to win a game.

If Banvit triumphs and Spartak beats Novo Mesto, the Turkish side will earn a berth in the next round.
Banvit could still retain its edge even if it loses by a deficit of fewer than eight points since it will possess the head-to-head tiebreaker in the event that both teams finish with the same number of wins.
Banvit is managed by Turkish international basketball team coach Orhun Ene and is led by Turkey’s back-up playmaker, Barış Ermiş, on the court.

The team has a solid and consistent core of three U.S. players, Chuck Davis, Lance Williams and Keith Simmons, who have been with Banvit for the last three seasons, and also features scoring leader Kenan Bajramovic.