Turkey qualifies for Euro semi-finals, first time in 24 years
EuroBasket - Turkey qualified for their first EuroBasket semi-final since 2001 by defeating Poland 91-77 this Tuesday, September 9 in the first quarter-final of the competition in Riga. Alperen Sengun recorded the fifth triple-double in Euro history (since 1995).
Photo Credit : Lilian Bordron
Since hosting EuroBasket in 2001, Turkey had never reached the EuroBasket semi-finals. Led by Alperen Sengun, Ergin Ataman’s team qualified for the final four of the European championship this Tuesday, September 9 in Riga, Latvia. Though closely matched at the start (19-all after one quarter), they pulled away against Poland before extending their lead when Jordan Loyd and Mateusz Ponitka (19 points each) brought their team within less than 10 points. Their 91-77 victory allows them to approach the semi-finals confidently, against the winner of Greece – Lithuania.
HOW GOOD IS THIS TEAM? 🇹🇷#EuroBasket | #MakeYourMark pic.twitter.com/TqK3DcsVNw
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 9, 2025
Sengun, youngest player in history to record a triple-double at EuroBasket
After a closely contested first quarter, Ergin Ataman’s players took control following a Alperen Sengun dunk, sparking a 22-10 run before halftime (46-32). The Poles tried to come back in the final quarter but never reduced the gap to less than 8 points (70-78).
Hero of the night, Sengun recorded a historic triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, adding 3 steals to his stat line. He joins a short list of players who have achieved such a feat at EuroBasket, alongside Toni Kukoc and Luka Doncic.
Youngest to do it in EuroBasket history.
ALPEREN SENGUN DROPPED A TRIPLE-DOUBLE IN 25 MINUTES. 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/V2eP4S7FOg
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 9, 2025
Despite a fighting Mateusz Ponitka (19 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds) and Jordan Loyd (19 points on 5/11 shooting in 34 minutes), Poland’s run ends in the quarters after a great competition. For Turkey, the bad news came from Cedi Osman’s foot injury, though he fortunately returned late in the game.
Turkey thus extends their winning streak to seven games in the competition, matching their best historical run, and now awaits in the semi-finals the winner between Greece and Lithuania. This is the national team’s best result in international competition since the 2010 World Cup final, lost to Kevin Durant’s United States in Istanbul.
In Riga,
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
Commentaires