MUNICH (EuroCup Women) - Niki Lefkada and Orman Genclik will both take a spot in the EuroCup Women Regular Season for the very first time after navigating their respective Qualifiers ties.

It was a nerve-shredding experience for the islanders Niki Lefkada as their ticket was still up for grabs heading into the final few seconds of their second-leg contest at Spartak M.O.Noginsk.

They eventually fell 66-62, but progressed thanks to the 7-point advantage they carried from the first meeting in Greece, earlier in the week.

Jade Johnson-Walker was the hero as she carried her team to a new high tide mark in the competition after racking up a dazzling double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds - as well as doing a job defensively with 4 steals.

"We are very proud for the qualification," enthused head coach, Nikolaos Douvitsas .

"The team is not ready yet as our target is to be competitive in the group stage - especially in the home games."

Orman Genclik pitched up for tip-off against Arka Gdynia with a healthy 15-point lead from their first-leg meeting, but also had a nervous roller-coaster ride. They went down 82-74, but at one stage late in the game were behind  by 13 points.

The Turkish side were saved by the leading scorer in the competition last season, as Kahleah Copper returned to haunt her ex-employers by dropping 27 points. Teammate Rebekah Gardner added a precious 21 points in support.

FIBA