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Türkiye's national basketball team dominated Switzerland 85-60 in Lugano on Sunday, improving to 2-0 in Group C of the FIBA 2027 World Cup European Qualifiers and maintaining perfect form in the opening round of competition.
The Turkish squad, known domestically as the 12 Dev Adam (12 Giant Men), controlled the contest from the opening tip, building a 23-17 advantage after the first quarter and extending the margin to 41-25 by halftime. Head coach Ergin Ataman's team continued pulling away in the second half, outscoring the hosts 24-17 in the third quarter and 20-18 in the fourth to seal the comfortable victory.
Switzerland dropped to 0-2 in Group C following the loss, having previously fallen to Serbia 90-86 in their opening qualifier despite holding a commanding 57-34 halftime lead in that contest. The Swiss managed just 60 points against Türkiye's defense, struggling to find offensive rhythm throughout the match.
The defeat compounds Switzerland's difficult start to qualification, with both losses coming in matches the team might have hoped to make competitive on home soil.
The road win in Switzerland followed Türkiye's impressive 93-71 home victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in their Group C opener, establishing the Turkish side as early frontrunners in the qualification race. The team demonstrated both offensive firepower and defensive consistency across the two matches.
Ataman's roster featured players from top European clubs including Anadolu Efes, Fenerbahce Beko, and Panathinaikos AKTOR. The squad included Ercan Osmani, Erkan Yilmaz, Sehmus Hazer, Kenan Sipahi, Furkan Haltali, Berk Ibrahim Ugurlu, Yigit Arslan, Tarik Biberovic, Furkan Korkmaz, Yigitcan Saybir, Sertac Sanli, Cedi Osman, and Omer Faruk Yurtseven.
Türkiye made one notable roster change before the Switzerland match, removing Onuralp Bitim from the squad after the guard sustained a right ankle injury during the Bosnia and Herzegovina game. Muhsin Yasar and Yigit Onan were also not included in the traveling squad for the away fixture.
The FIBA World Cup qualifiers continue as national teams compete for spots in the 2027 tournament, with Group C representing one of several European qualifying groups determining which nations will advance to the global competition.
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