Türkiye beats Serbia 94-86, advances in World Cup Qualifiers

2026-03-03 - 03:42

Türkiye's National Basketball Team delivered a commanding performance Monday at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center in Istanbul, defeating Serbia 94-86 to advance to the second round of the FIBA 2027 World Cup European Qualifiers. The home side established early control with a 28-21 first quarter and maintained their advantage through halftime at 48-44. Second Half Dominance The Turkish squad extended their lead in the third quarter with a decisive 28-19 run, effectively sealing the victory despite Serbia taking the final period 23-18. The win keeps Türkiye perfect at the top of Group C with four consecutive victories, while Serbia suffered their second loss in qualifying play. Top Performers Forward Tarik Biberovic led all scorers with an impressive all-around performance of 21 points, five assists, and five rebounds. Ömer Yurtseven contributed 17 points before fouling out, while Şehmus Hazer added 15 and Cedi Osman chipped in 13 points to power the Turkish offense. For Serbia, Aleksa Avramovic posted 16 points and nine assists, with Ognjen Dobric scoring 14 and Dejan Davidovac adding 12 in the losing effort.