

Balıkesir Büyükşehir Belediyespor left the Turkish capital with a hard-earned 91-85 road victory over TED Ankara Kolejliler in the Turkish Basketball First League on 3 October 2026, closing the game with a composed final stretch after trading the lead for most of the evening.
The six-point margin flatters nobody in a game that was decided inside the last four minutes. Ankara's Kolejliler led by two at half-time and were still level with under five minutes to play, before Balıkesir's perimeter shooting and free-throw discipline turned a coin-flip into a road win.
Match Overview
- Final score: TED Ankara Kolejliler 85 – 91 Balıkesir Büyükşehir Belediyespor
- Competition: Turkish Basketball First League (TBL)
- Date: 3 October 2026, 20:00 local time
- Venue: Ankara
- Margin: Balıkesir by 6
How the Game Turned
Balıkesir started the brighter of the two sides and pushed ahead 25-22 after the opening quarter, knocking down three early attempts from beyond the arc and forcing the hosts into a pair of rushed possessions. Kolejliler responded exactly as a home team should: they tightened their half-court defence, got the ball inside, and won the second period 24-19 to take a 46-44 lead into the locker room.
The third quarter belonged to the visitors again. Balıkesir found rhythm in transition, scored 25 points in the period and regained a three-point cushion at 69-66 heading into the fourth. From there the game slowed to a grind, but the away side's patience at the line — they converted 20 of 23 free throws on the night — proved the difference in a close finish.
Key Moments
The swing came in the 36th minute. With the score tied, Balıkesir's backcourt forced a steal at midcourt, converted it into an and-one at the other end, and followed it with a corner three on the next possession. That five-point burst in under 40 seconds pushed the lead to eight and effectively settled the contest, even as Kolejliler answered with late baskets to keep the final margin respectable.
Standout Performers
- Balıkesir: Emre Tanışlı led all scorers with 24 points and 6 assists, dictating pace down the stretch.
- Balıkesir: Kaan Demirbaş added 18 points and 11 rebounds, giving his team a second-chance threat all evening.
- Kolejliler: Mert Yıldız scored 21 points and kept the hosts alive with tough mid-range shooting.
- Kolejliler: Çağrı Aksoy chipped in 17 points and battled on the boards despite foul trouble.
Tactical Notes
Balıkesir's offensive plan was clear: spread the floor, attack pick-and-roll mismatches, and live at the three-point line. They attempted 27 shots from deep, making 12, and consistently went back to the same action when Kolejliler switched smaller defenders onto the screener. Defensively, they conceded some paint points but limited second-chance opportunities in the fourth quarter, an area where they had struggled through the first three periods.
Kolejliler were the more physical side inside and out-rebounded their opponents, but a 9-of-29 night from three-point range and 14 turnovers — several of them unforced in transition — left them chasing the game in the closing minutes. Their half-court execution was good enough to win; their shot selection late was not.
What It Means in the TBL
Road wins carry extra weight in the Turkish Basketball First League, where home courts are notoriously difficult and the playoff race tends to be decided by two or three results. Balıkesir's victory keeps them moving with the leading pack in the early-season table and confirms their ability to close out tight games away from home — a trait that matters enormously in a division where promotion to the Basketbol Süper Ligi is the prize.
For TED Ankara Kolejliler, a historic club with a proud tradition in Turkish basketball, it is a frustrating home defeat. The positives are real — the rebounding edge, the interior scoring, the fight to the final whistle — but dropping a game they led at half-time is the kind of result that can sting when the standings tighten in the spring.
