Türkiye broke New Zealand after double overtime in an Istanbul drama at the U17 World Cup
The Türkiye U17 national team opened its Group C campaign at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026 with a victory that will long be remembered for its comeback, pace and individual performances. On Saturday, June 27, 2026, at the BDC Main Venue in Istanbul, the home team defeated New Zealand 112:100 after two overtimes, although, according to the official FIBA report, it had trailed by as many as 25 points midway through the third quarter. The game started at 20:15 local time in Türkiye and ended as one of the most dramatic games of the tournament’s opening day. In its official report, FIBA states that Ömer Kutluay and Darius Karutasu combined for 76 points and led the home team in a comeback that at one point seemed almost unbelievable. New Zealand controlled a large part of the game, but in the closing stages of the fourth quarter and then in overtime, it had no answer to the shooting surge and energy of the Turkish team.
From New Zealand control to a Turkish comeback
The official FIBA box score shows that New Zealand started the game better and led 22:20 after the first quarter. The advantage became much more convincing in the second period, in which Türkiye scored only eight points, while New Zealand went into halftime at 41:28. The team from the Pacific continued to hold the rhythm in the third quarter as well, and the FIBA report highlights the moment at 56:31, about six minutes before the end of that period, when New Zealand’s lead grew to 25 points. At that stage, it seemed that New Zealand had enough composure, offensive variety and physical presence for a relatively safe entry into the final stretch. Still, Türkiye had already reduced the deficit by the end of the third quarter and entered the last ten minutes with a deficit that was still large, but no longer seemed unreachable.
According to FIBA’s game report, the comeback began with a scoring run that changed the atmosphere in the arena and the tempo of the game. Karutasu made three three-pointers in the fourth quarter during a key stretch, and Türkiye completely opened up the game with a series of outside shots. The home team scored 37 points in that quarter, which was almost equal to its total output from the first three quarters. New Zealand, despite the pressure, again got into a position to win and led 84:81 in the final seconds of regulation. But FIBA states that Demir Öztürk scored after an offensive rebound three seconds before the end, drew an additional free throw and made it for the equalizer that sent the game into overtime.
Kutluay and Karutasu carried the home team
Ömer Kutluay finished the game with 39 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, according to the official FIBA report. His performance was not only about shooting, but also about organization, because in the closing stages he connected possessions, looked for Karutasu in favorable positions and took responsibility when the home team’s offense needed a calm decision. After the game, according to FIBA, Kutluay said he was proud of the team because it did not accept that the game was over, but stayed focused and came back into the contest. His statement describes the course of the game well: Türkiye long looked like a team chasing rhythm, and then, at the most difficult moment, found confidence. In the context of a tournament for players under 17, such a reaction carries additional weight because it shows maturity in a high-intensity game.
Darius Karutasu added 37 points, 11 rebounds and six made three-pointers, FIBA states. His offensive explosion was decisive in the period when Türkiye was turning a large deficit into a completely open game. Karutasu combined outside shooting with rebounding energy, and his 11 boards gave the home team additional stability in a game that swung on every possession. In its report, FIBA emphasized that the Kutluay - Karutasu duo was simply too much for New Zealand in the second overtime. Türkiye won the final five minutes of the second overtime 16:4 and definitively broke the game there.
Cecil’s big night was not enough for New Zealand
Jayden Cecil was New Zealand’s leading figure and one of the most prominent individuals of the entire opening day of the tournament. According to FIBA, Cecil scored 42 points, with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. He made 17 of 40 field-goal attempts, including six three-pointers from 19 attempts, and FIBA highlighted in a separate article that this performance tied him for third place on the list of the best single-game scorers in the history of the U17 World Cup. Ahead of him on that historic list remained Džanan Musa from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Abdouramane Toure from Guinea, who scored 50 points each, while Cecil shares third place with Felipe Quinones from Puerto Rico. Nevertheless, his night ended in defeat because New Zealand failed to protect the large lead from the third quarter.
Cecil’s performance gives the game an additional dimension because it shows that New Zealand did not lose because of a lack of individual quality, but because of a change of rhythm and a series of mistakes under pressure. The FIBA report records that New Zealand had 37 minutes and 35 seconds of total lead time, while Türkiye led for only seven minutes and 39 seconds. That figure clearly shows how unusual the course of the game was: the team that controlled the score for most of the game ultimately lost by 12. In the first overtime, both teams scored 12 points each, and FIBA states that Noah Duncan calmly made two free throws for New Zealand 18 seconds before the end and forced a second overtime. There, however, Türkiye had more strength, a better offensive rhythm and louder support from the stands.
The statistics reveal how changeable the game was
According to FIBA’s official statistics, Türkiye shot 43 percent from the field, while New Zealand shot 40 percent. The home team had a better three-point percentage, 31.3 percent compared with New Zealand’s 25 percent, and a significantly steadier hand from the free-throw line, 81.5 percent compared with 65.2 percent. In a game that lasted 50 minutes, such differences were not merely cosmetic. Türkiye built its comeback precisely with three-pointers and free throws, while New Zealand found it increasingly difficult to get calm possessions in the closing periods. FIBA’s game overview records nine lead changes and ten ties, which further confirms that the finish remained open deep into the second overtime.
By quarters, New Zealand had the advantage 22:20, 19:8 and 23:19 in the first three periods, taking a 64:47 lead before the final quarter. Türkiye then won the fourth quarter 37:20, the first overtime ended 12:12, and the second belonged to the home team 16:4. Such a sequence is rarely seen in games in which one team has a 25-point advantage midway through the third quarter. FIBA recorded New Zealand’s largest lead as 26 points, while Türkiye’s largest lead was 13 points. The official data also states that the game at the BDC Main Venue was watched by 1007 spectators.
A game with an immediate effect on Group C
With the 112:100 victory, Türkiye recorded a 1-0 record after the first round of Group C, while New Zealand started at 0-1. According to the official competition website, Puerto Rico defeated Slovenia 92:78 in the other Group C game on the same day, so Puerto Rico and Türkiye opened the group with victories. FIBA’s standings after the first day placed Puerto Rico first in the group, Türkiye second, New Zealand third and Slovenia fourth. That ranking does not yet have decisive value because the group continues, but it is important for the Round of 16 schedule, in which teams from Group C cross over with teams from Group D. According to the tournament rules published by FIBA, all 16 national teams advance to the final phase, but group placement determines the opponent in the elimination stage.
The official FIBA schedule shows that Türkiye plays against Slovenia on June 28, 2026, while New Zealand faces Puerto Rico on the same day. For Türkiye, the game against Slovenia is an opportunity to turn the momentum created by a major comeback into a stronger position before the final group round. For New Zealand, the duel with Puerto Rico comes after an emotionally demanding defeat and will be a test of the team’s ability to quickly rebuild its concentration. In youth selections, such transitions are often just as important as technical and tactical preparation, because games are played in a compressed rhythm and with very little recovery time. That is precisely why Türkiye’s victory also carries psychological weight, while New Zealand, despite the defeat, can build optimism on the periods of play in which it completely dominated.
The wider framework of the tournament in Istanbul
The FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026 is being played in Istanbul from June 27 to July 5, and according to official FIBA data it is the eighth edition of the world championship for basketball players under 17. Sixteen national teams are participating in the tournament, divided into four groups of four teams. Group A consists of Italy, the United States of America, France and Japan, Group B of Cameroon, Canada, Lithuania and China, Group C of New Zealand, Slovenia, Puerto Rico and Türkiye, and Group D of Venezuela, Australia, Serbia and Côte d’Ivoire. In its announcement after the draw, FIBA stated that from the Round of 16 onward the tournament is played in a direct knockout system, with Groups A and B crossing over with each other, as do Groups C and D. Such a format makes every group game important, even though no one is eliminated after the first phase.
According to FIBA’s overview of the participants, Türkiye is hosting the tournament for the second consecutive edition of the U17 World Cup and is appearing for the fourth time in this competition. Türkiye won third place in 2024, and earlier, in 2016, reached the final and finished second. New Zealand also has important continuity at this level because, according to FIBA, it is appearing for the fourth consecutive time at the U17 World Cup. In the 2024 edition, New Zealand reached the semifinals, which FIBA described as a result that equaled the country’s best placement on the global basketball stage, along with the senior national team’s fourth place at the 2002 World Cup. For that reason, their opening appearance in Istanbul also carried additional attention, especially after Cecil already entered the competition’s historic list of most efficient scorers in the first game.
A comeback that may mark the start of the tournament
For Türkiye, this victory is more than a good start in terms of results. The way it was earned, after a large deficit, with two overtimes and against an opponent that was among the tournament’s top four teams in 2024, gives the home selection a strong narrative already after the first day. In its report, FIBA described the atmosphere in the arena as one of the factors that pushed the home team toward the comeback, and Kutluay especially emphasized that the crowd helped on defense and offense when the margin was reduced to ten points. Such a connection between the court and the stands is often important at youth tournaments, especially when the host is trying to confirm, through results, its status as one of the more ambitious national teams. Still, the game is at the same time a warning to Türkiye that a weak entry into the second quarter and major drops in concentration can be costly against physically strong and offensively inspired opponents.
For New Zealand, the defeat is painful because of the missed lead, but it is not without sporting capital. The team showed that it can control a game against the host, dominate large parts of the contest and have a player capable of a historic offensive night. The biggest challenge will be to turn that potential into stability across all 40 minutes, or across an additional 10 if the game again goes into overtime. In a group that also includes Puerto Rico and Slovenia, every possession can influence the final order ahead of the Round of 16. Istanbul received, already on the first day, a game that reminded everyone why youth world championships often offer unpredictability, sudden comebacks and big individual stories before the wider basketball public gets to know their protagonists.
Sources:
- FIBA Basketball – official game page New Zealand U17 - Türkiye U17, result, quarters, statistics, arena, referees and attendance (link)
- FIBA Basketball – official game report on Türkiye’s victory after two overtimes and the performances of Ömer Kutluay and Darius Karutasu (link)
- FIBA Basketball – official article on Jayden Cecil’s performance and his place among the top scorers in U17 World Cup history (link)
- FIBA Basketball – official competition page with schedule, group standings and statistical leaders of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026 (link)
- FIBA Basketball – announcement on the draw, groups, competition format and crossover in the tournament’s final phase (link)
- FIBA Basketball – overview of participating national teams and context of Türkiye’s and New Zealand’s appearances at the U17 World Cup (link)