The Daily Star Ireland
Beneath the roaring energy of Arena Riga, Turkey and Poland locked horns in a defining EuroBasket 2025 quarterfinal showdown, played with high stakes and greater intensity. Turkey, riding a wave of confidence, leaned on the scintillating form of Alperen Şengün, while Poland fought valiantly, built around veterans like Mateusz Ponitka and Jordan Loyd.
Turkey Preview
Coach & Identity
Under Ergin Ataman’s command, Turkey blends seasoned leadership and post-game grit with young-star creativity. The system promotes physicality, rebounding, and dynamic offense focused through a central star.
Offense
Every aspect of Turkey’s attack flows through the dominant presence of Alperen Şengün, who engineered a spectacular triple-double (19 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) to steer his team past Poland. Surrounding him, knockdown shooters and slashing wings like Furkan Korkmaz ignite the secondary offense, keeping defenses stretched.
Defense
Effort defines Turkey on defense. They crash the boards hard—especially offensive boards—and switch with commitment on the perimeter. Their defense flows from rebounding and high energy, triggering transition snaps and second-chance opportunities.
Rotation & Depth
Turkey’s roster boasts depth—with veterans like Shane Larkin, Cedi Osman, and rotational power in Omer Faruk Yurtseven and Adem Bona. The blend keeps rotation tight, energy high, and options flexible.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths: interior dominance, rebounding, starlet production, and overall cohesion.
Weaknesses: potential dependency on Şengün’s availability; occasional execution lull if perimeter shooting cools.
Poland Preview
Coach & Identity
Poland relies on grit, veteran savvy, and balanced scoring. Guided by Ponitka’s all-around play and Loyd’s scoring bursts, they’ve navigated bracket challenges with grit and confidence.
Offense
Poland balanced inside quality with guard aggression. Ponitka, Loyd, and the wings crafted shots through ball movement and perimeter threat. But they ultimately couldn’t match Turkey’s interior force.
Defense
Poland’s defense hinged on communication and perimeter pressure. They battled for position inside but faced pushback against Turkey’s rebounding rhythm and turnover generation.
Rotation & Depth
Their roster brought experience, but lacked the frontcourt punch to withstand physical rebounding runs. Poland’s bench provided spark but was gradually outmatched during extended sequences.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths: guard-based execution, dogged defense, scoring balance.
Weaknesses: vulnerability on the glass, depth mismatch at the 5, and turnover bleed in crunch time.
Game Breakdown
- First Quarter: Tightly contested (19–19), both teams trading rhythm and landing buckets through guards and mid-range threats.
- Key Shift: Turkey asserted control via offensive rebounds—turning them into points—and far cleaner execution with fewer turnovers.
- Star Performance: Şengün’s triple-double ignited Turkey’s run; his facilitating, rebounding, and scoring stretched Poland beyond recovery.
- Closing Push: Though Poland cut the deficit to single digits, timely triples from Sehmus Hazer and Ercan Osman sealed the victory for Turkey.
Betting Insight
- Angle: Turkey’s strong second-quarter surge and rebounding dominance made the difference. Expect over if similar pace continues, or under if Poland drags tempo.
- Props: Şengün’s stat lines shine—rebounds or assists props looked ripe. Poland’s margin faded late—backing Turkey in the second half held value.
Prediction & Result
Winner: Turkey
Final Score: 91–77
The X‑factor: Rebounding and Interior Control—Turkey outran Poland to the glass, controlled possessions, and imposed their pace.
Sign‑Off
This EuroBasket 2025 quarterfinal preview showcased Turkey’s resurgence on the continental stage, powered by Alperen Şengün’s brilliance and a team committed to execution on both ends—a refined victory that earned them a semifinal berth.
