Denizli Basket beat Pieve di Soligo 83:69 in the FIBA Europe Cup on Tuesday evening. The hosts took control early and never really let go, closing out a comfortable win over a side that had been flying high. To be fair, Pieve di Soligo came into this one with momentum on their side.
They had won four straight games before this trip to Turkey. A 104:77 victory over BC Košice Wolves on October 3rd was the latest in a run that saw them climb to second place in the table with four wins from six matches. Denizli, meanwhile, had mixed form coming in — a win over Tofaş Bursa followed by two defeats.
And here's the thing about cup football, or basketball for that matter. The table can tell you one story and the game another. Pieve di Soligo arrived confident, but Denizli found a way through their rhythm. The final margin of fourteen points doesn't look huge, but the flow of the game suggested the hosts were always a step ahead.
By then the visitors had already dropped two of their six games this season, and this result adds another loss to their record. Denizli's win keeps them in contention, though the standings data for the hosts isn't provided here. What is clear is that Pieve di Soligo's winning streak came to an end on their travels.
The scoreline stands at 83:69, and the gap in the table now widens for the away side. They still sit second, but the pressure of the next fixture will be heavier with this defeat added to their two losses. The hosts, for their part, showed they could match up against one of the better sides in the group.
