EuroLeague Women highlights from round 8
Nadezhda stunned Bourges Basket
Villeneuve win for the second time



The only perfect records in this year's EuroLeague Women competition ended with the defeat of UMMC Ekaterinburg and Umana Reyer.

Spartak Moscow Region was the only team to win on the road on Wednesday night with Lauren Jackson scoring 33 points.

It was a poor EuroLeague Women round for clubs from the LFB with only one victory from the four games.

Montpellier are officially eliminated from the competition. The possibility for Villneuve d'Ascq progressing are remote.

UHB's away-form may cost them a place in the play-offs but with two games to go they can still qualify.

You can read the group summaries and game reports by following the links or scrolling down the page:

Nadezhda turned it around in the second half to beat Bourges Basket

Villeneuve d'Ascq enjoyed second victory

Lotos PKO BP beat Union Hainaut Basket

Halcon Avenida lead Group A

Qualification picture not clear in Group B

UMMC Ekaterinburg dropped game in Group C

Qualifiers are known in Group D

All the scores from round eight


Nadezhda turned it around in the second half to beat Bourges Basket

Anastasiya Veremeenko ©  FIBA Europe Anastasiya Veremeenko (left) was very active from the tip-offoffensively for the hosts, Nadezhda. She scored 9 of their first 11 points to lead midway through the first period (11-5).

Bourges Basket managed to put a stop to Veremeenko forthe rest of the period while scoring 8 unanswered points to lead going into the second period (13-11).

Then Nwal-Endènè Miyem completed Bourges' run 10-0. However Veremeenko ended Nadezdha's almost 7-minute barren spell with a pair of free-throws.

Vermeenko and Miyem were to trade baskets before Zane Tamane fromNadezhda brought the teams back on level terms (17-17).

Bourges Basket then went on a 17-0 run (34-17) and maintained their advantage until the break (38-23).

Betty Lennox who had had a quiet first half burst into life during the third period for Nadezhda. She opened her account with a trey and wasto score 12 more points (two more 3-pointers) for her side to regain the lead (45-42).

Olga Ovcharenko split a pair of free-throws on two occasions to keep the home team in front until Cathy Melain scored from down-town for Bourges Basket to go in front into the final quarter (49-47).

Shameka Christon's first points of the game came at the start of the last period from the free-throw line as she tied the game oncem ore (49-49).

Afterwards Miyem (right) scored 6 unanswered points for Bourges (55-49) as they tried to pull away. Nwal-Endènè Miyem ©  Ligue Féminine de BasketBall

However Tamane and Christon, with clutch shooting, brought theNadezhda to within a single point (54-55).

They then eventually went in front through Ovcharenko and Tamanecompleting a 9-0 run (58-55).

Ana Lelas levelled the score briefly with a trey for Bourges. Yet Veremeenko was to score on the very next attack Lelas was on the scoresheet once more as she split a pair of free-throws.

Ovcharenko delivered the knock-out blow with a shot from down-down (63-59) as money-time approached.

Lennox and Miyem scored the only points in money-time which gaveNadezhda their second EuroLeague Women victory for the season (65-61).

Veremeenko led the scoring with 22 points while Lennox chipped in 17 points

which included 3-of-7 from the land of many. Ovcharenko contributed 12 points.

Miyem was the only player in double digits with 25 points for Bourges.



EuroLeague Women victory number two for Villeneuve d'Ascq

For Villeneuve d'Ascq, the chance of qualification for the second phase more or less disappeared with the reinstatement of CSKA Moscow.

Hence Villeneuve were under no real pressure for their EuroLeague Women match with Hungarian club side MBK Euroleasing.

Géraldine Robert was once again active from the tip-off and was to score the first points of the game.

However MKB Euroleasing hit back immediately through Edit Ratkainé. Then they went in front as Jelena Milovanovic split a pair of free-throws (3-2).

For the following three minutes nothing happened offensively as both sides tightened up on defense.

Iziane Castro Marques eventually broke the deadlock only for Dóra Horti to score for the guests.

However Robert had already started to take charge all over the court and delivered the perfect pass to Milijana Evtoukhovitch who then fired in a three-pointer.Ljubica Drljaca ©  Olivier Sarre

Villeneuve then went on a 9-0 riot, which eventually ended with back to back baskets from Robert (16-5).

Ljubica Drljaca (right) finished the scoring in the first period with a shot from beyond the arc for Villeneuve to lead by 10 points (19-9).

Jolene Anderson started the second quarter with a three-pointer for Villeneuve.

Afterwards the pendulum swung in favour of the guests from Hungary and in particular Katalin Honti as they went on a 11-0 run to reduce their deficit to a single point (21-22).

Drljaca put an end to the MKB sequence with a trey. However MKB were to draw level after Robert was called for an unsportsmanlike foul.

The game was tied on two more occasions: Tijana Krivacevic hit a pair of free-throws for MKB Euroleasing to go into the interval in front (30-28).

Both teams went on the defensive after the break. Drljaca was the only person to score in the first two minutes to bring her side back on level terms.

Villeneuve tried to take the game to their guests and the lead was to change several times without either side able to gain control.

Florence Lepron's three-pointer followed by a couple of points from Castro Marques appeared to have given Villeneuve the advantage they required (43-39).

However Villeneuve were unable to extend their lead. Both teams were back on level terms (43- 43) after scores from Krivacevic and Kinga Hadarics.

Villeneuve and MKB were still level (45-45) at the start of the final period and continued to play cat and mouse for almost eight minutes (53-53).

MBK Euroleasing 2008-2009 ©  MKB EuroleasingWith money-time approaching, Lepron went on one of her darting runs.

Meanwhile Anderson made her way to her favourite position just beyond the arc. When Lepron passed her the ball, all she had to do was shoot.

Her shot hit the target and MKB Euroleasing never recovered. Castro Marques was to score also from beyond the arc with 90 seconds left to play.

Drljaca completed the (8-0) run with her 15th point of the game. Jelena Milovanovic scored a consolation basket for MKB to bring the game to an end.

Villeneuve secured a second EuroLeague Women victory (61-55).

Robert led the scoring with 17 points. Drljaca (7 assists) and Castro Marques scored 15 and 12 points each. Anderson scored 9 points with 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Milovanovic led the MBK Euroleasing attack with 16 points while Amber Holts and Honti scored 10 points each.


A poor evening of EuroLeague Women basketball for Union Hainaut Basket

Ivana Matovic scored her first two shots to get Lotos PKO BP off to a perfect start (5-0) within the first minute of the match.

Alana Beard ©  sport.trojmiasto.pl Alana Beard (left) made it (7-0) before Union Hainaut Basket got out of their starting blocks. Clémence Beikes scored the first points for UHB on the very next attack.

Kathy Wambe went on one of her runs into the box and was fouled by Beard during the act of shooting. Wambe then calmly scored both free-throws (4-7).

However UHB continued to struggle offensively and fell further behind to Lotos PKO BP (13-6).

Then they finally woke up and went on the attack to reduce their deficit by the end of the first period (12-15).

The second quarter started with a contest between Monique Currie from Lotos PKO and Bernadette Mudju Ngoyisa as these two players monopolised the scoring for their sides for the first 90 seconds with the home side increasing their lead (20-16).

Paulina Pawlak fired in a three-pointer that got the home side off to a 8-0 run as they opened up the first significant lead of the game (28-16).

Currie continued to cause UHB problems all over the court. Yet the guests managed to stay in contact due to the efforts of Bintou Dieme who hit a couple of treys in her 8-point burst (30-38).

Despite Lotos PKO BP's dominance the hosts went into the break with a reduced advantage (40-34).

From the start of the third period the two teams traded basket for basket for the first four minutes with the hosts maintaining their advantage (50-44).

Jacek Winnicki ©  sport.trojmiasto.pl Jacek Winnicki, (right) the head coach from Lotos PKO BP, was not enjoying the basket exchange. He made some technical changes that paid off as his side scored 8 unanswered points to take control of game.

Lotos PKO BP outscored UHB (20-7) in the last six minutes of the quarter to go into the final period with a 19-point lead (70-51).

The last quarter turned into a formality for the home side as they controlled the game and were never troubled to win comfortably (86-62).

Beard led the scoring with 22 points. She was supported by Currie who finished on 19 points and shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Matovic scored 15 points and Natallia Marchanka had 6 assists.

For UHB Sabrina Reghaissïa and Vedrana Grgin Fonseca finished in double digits with 11 and 10 points apiece.



EuroLeague Women qualifying Group A

Wisla Can-Pack have booked their ticket for the next stage of the EuroLeague Women season after beating MiZo Pécs 2010 (57-48) at home.

Halcon Avenida returned to the top of this group after a home victory against Besiktas Cola Turka (80-70).

Halcon struggled during the first half of the match and trailed by the end of the first quarter before drawing level (35-35) at the interval.

They pulled away from their guests during the second part of the third quarter to lead by 10 points (60-50) going into the final period.

They went on to control the last period to record their sixth win of the season.

Anke De Mondt and Le'Coe Willingham both scored 19 points for the winners.

Nadezhda's victory against Bourges (65-61) keeps them in the qualification race.

Bourges Basket drop to second place in the group but have already qualified for the next phase.


EuroLeague Women qualifying Group B

TTT Riga are back in the race for qualification for the play-off round after holding off the previously unbeaten Umana Reyer (61-57) in a tight game.

With the victory acquired against CSKA Moscow, TTT Riga have now 3 wins.

Umana Reyer have already qualified and have won the group.

Villeneuve d'Ascq's victory against MKB Euroleasing (61-55) has only complicated matters in this group without improving their chance of qualification.

The qualification picture will only become clear on Sunday after the game between Gambrinus and CSKA Moscow.


EuroLeague Women qualifying Group C

Ros Casares have ended the run of UMMC Ekaterinburg by beating them (71-63).

Ros Casares did the damage in the first period as they outscored their guests (25-10).

DeLisha Milton-Jones led the scoring with 19 points while Amaya Valdemoro scored 18 points and dished out 7 assists.

Sandrine Gruda led the scoring with 18 points for UMMC. Cappie Pondexter scored 17 points and notched up 7 defeats.

Both teams have already qualified for the play-offs and still occupy the first two places in the group.

Evanthia Maltsi ©  womensbasketball-in-france.com ZVVZ USK Prague improved their qualification chances with a comfortable home victory (102-78) against Jolly JBS Sibenik.

ZVVZ USK were leading by 6 points at the interval and made the break during the third period before pacing themselves to victory.

Evanthia Maltsi (left) led the scoring with 29 points that included 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.

She also had 10 rebounds. Michaela Feranciková also finished with a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

LOTOS PKO BP, ZVVZ USK Prague and Union Hainaut Basket all have the same record with 3 wins and 5 defeats.

UHB are currently in fifth place due to having the worst head-to-head record against the other two teams and must win their remaining games to stand any chance of staying in the EuroLeague Women competition.

Jolly JBS Sibenik are in sixth place but can still qualify for the next phase.


EuroLeague Women qualifying Group D

Lauren Jackson ©  FIBA Europe Lauren Jackson (left) likes playing against Fenerbahce. She scored 33 points, which included 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.

She also grabbed 8 rebounds in 30 minutes as Spartak Moscow Region won (100-76).

Spartak Moscow Region led from the start and were never in any trouble.

Diana Taurasi also had a productive evening from beyond the arc with her 6-of-9 in her compilation of 19 points.

Emilie Gomis, the only French player in the match, had a forgettable performance as she failed to score in her 18 minutes .

Maxima Broker Kosice without Linda Fröhlich held off Beretta Famila to win (80-74).

Maxima Broker playing at home made the decisive break with a (14-2) run to finish the second period and go into the break leading (40-29).

Maxima Broker had four players in double digits with Cathrine Kraayeveld, Liron Cohen and Anna Jurcenkova all scoring 19 points while Daniela Cikosova finished on 17 points.

Alison Feaster-Strong © Beretta FamilaAllison Feaster-Strong (right) was to led the scoring with 22 points. She was joined by former French international Nicole Antibe and Italian international Kathrin Ress in double digits with 17 and 10 points apiece.

There were no miracles for Montpellier as they fell - at the end of the match - on the road to TEO Vilnius (62-73).

Montpellier and Beretta Famila are officially eliminated from the EuroLeague Womens competition after their recent defeats.

Spartak Moscow lead the group with 7 wins and 1 defeat while all the other three teams have identical records with 5 wins and 3 defeats.

However all four teams have qualified and will use the remaining games to improve their ranking for the play-off series.


All the EuroLeague Women 2008-2009 scores from the eighth round matches:

Wisla Can-Pack 57-48 MiZo Pécs 2010
Nadezhda 65-61 Bourges Basket
Halcon Avenida 80-70 Besiktas Cola Turka

Villneuve d'Ascq (ESB Lille Metropole) 61-55 MKB Euroleasing
TTT Riga 61-57 Umana Reyer
CSKA Moscow 91-71 Gambrinus

ZVVZ USK Prague 102-78 Jolly JBS Sibenik
Ros Casares 71-63 UMMC Ekaterinburg
LOTOS PKO BP 86-62 Union Hainaut Basket

Broker Kosice 80-74 Beretta Famila
TEO Vilnius 73-62 Lattes Montpellier
Fenerbahce 76-100 Spartak Moscow Region


Look back at round 7

Return from EuroLeague Women round 8 to Women playing basketball blog

Return EuroLeague Women season 2008-09 Index page

EuroLeague Women picture credits:

womensbasketball-in-france.com
Ligue Féminine de BasketBall
FIBA Europe
Olivier Sarre - Basquetebol.org
sport.trojmiasto.pl

Date created: 03 December 2008
Last Update: 04 December 2008


hit counter

blog stats

Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.






BlockBuilder 2