ORENBURG (Russia) - BLMA look like they will hold the cards heading into the second leg of the EuroCup Women 2019 Final after winning 75-71 at Nadezhda in an entertaining first meeting.

Turning point: Nadezhda had never led in the game and at 71-70 to BLMA inside the last minute, it had looked like some momentum might sway the way of the home team. But, the pendulum actually swung the other way when Samantha Whitcomb drilled a big triple in the dying stages to give BLMA a slender but handy advantage for the game in France.

Stats don't lie: BLMA got more than twice the scoring production off the bench than their rivals with 25 points, compared to just 12 for Nadezhda.

Game heroes: Highlighted as the player to watch ahead of the game, Helena Ciak was immense for the visitors with a stellar 9-of-11 shooting effort which returned 18 points. She also completed a double-double with 12 rebounds.

The Bottom Line: It was a big battle at both ends of the court. A glance at the boxscore and you might wonder how Nadezhda ticked so many positive boxes and yet lost the game. The trouble was that they started slowly and during crunch time, failed to deliver a mental blow by getting that lead - even just once. Still, the lead for BLMA is small and Nadezhda have taken some big scalps on the road, so it is no disaster at all. Meanwhile the winning team will reflect on a job well done on their long journey home.

What They Said: "We managed to hold back Brionna Jones and we hold an important victory in an away game. We have a good chance for the victory in this EuroCup Women competition. Our gym is not as big as the one Nadezhda has, however the support of our fans is also great." BLMA guard, Romane Bernies.

"This was only half of the series and everything will be clear next week. Our task is to play at home the same way we've played at the start of the game. The pick-and-rolls by Ana Dabovic and Helena Ciak delivered a lot of trouble for Nadezhda. Also we managed to neutralize Brionna Jones and show a high realization of our shots."
BLMA Head Coach, Thibaut Petit.

"We are in the Final, and it is essentially important to enjoy the moment! We can win by 5 or more in France. Taking into account the amount of games we have had lately - losing by 5 points is not crucial. We will have some time to relax, analyze the mistakes and we will go to France with a great mood." Nadezhda playcaller, Victor Lapena.

FIBA