Damir Mrsic had 37 points vs Besiktas

Bosnia-Herzegovina star Damir Mrsic is rapidly becoming the one to watch as the FIBA Europe League gears up for next month's Final Four.

The tough-as-nails guard was unstoppable on Thursday, hitting a game-high 37 points as Fenerbahce crushed arch rivals Besiktas in the fourth quarter to claim a 93-73 win and romp into the semi-finals where they will meet Ukraine giants BC Kyiv.

In the other all-Russia semi-final, Dynamo St Petersburg will play Moscow giants BC Khimki.

Veteran playmaker Mrsic's masterful performance on Thursday, particularly in the final quarter against Besiktas when he drilled 17 points, goes down as one of the top performances in the FIBA Europe League this season.

		“	The fans did not leave us alone all night	„
		Damir Mrsic

Fener outscored their opponents 36-22 in the last quarter but personal glory was the last thing on Mrsic's mind after the contest as he praised the "inspirational" fans and his team-mates.

"The fans did not leave us alone all night," said the Tuzla-born Mrsic, who was the oldest man on the court by more than a year.

"The gym was full with 12,000 screaming fans. It was a great atmosphere. You just can't miss your shots because everybody is screaming their support for you. It's very good motivation."

Mrsic said the performances of US import Marc Salyers in the first and last quarters and Omer Onan in the final quarter, along with outstanding contributions from the bench, were the difference.

He said the reserves stepped up, especially on defence, after Bahamas-born centre Trevor Harvey had to sit down with three personal fouls early in the game.

"Ratko (Varda) was a big problem on offence because we could not stop him but the defence (from the bench) finally got the better of him," said Mrsic.

The Bosnia & Herzegovina great, who this week pledged his support to the national team for their Eurobasket 2005 campaign in Serbia & Montenegro in September, is looking forward to the showdown with BC Kyiv.

"We have beaten them twice in this season's FIBA Europe League qualifying series," said Mrsic.

"But finals are different. I don't think it will be a very easy game. Kyiv have a lot of good players."

He singled out US-born guard Lamarr Greer, who is averaging 18.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in Europe this season, as a major threat.

Greer, who starred for FIBA Europe League champions UNICS Kazan last season, has fit in well with the Ukraine team.

The roster also includes US-born, naturalised Croatia guard Marcus Norris and Canada-born Greece star Ioannis Giannoulis.

"He was always a big problem for us last season and I don't think much has changed this season," said Mrsic.