Leedham takes Top Performer honors as ESBVA-LM extend stay in Europe

MUNICH (EuroLeague Women) - Great Britain international Johannah Leedham confirmed ESBVA-LM's stay in Europe on Wednesday night, with a billing worthy of Top Performer honors.

The EuroLeague Women veteran shooting guard put together a 20-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist performance, her best of the season in EuroLeague Women, to guide ESBVA-LM to a 76-62 victory over Galatasaray, whom they will now join in Friday's EuroCup Women Quarter-Final draw.

Joining her in the Top Performer starting backcourt is Courtney Vandersloot, who assured Yakin Dogu Universitesi would finish their rookie EuroLeague Women Regular Season as the top team in Group B, with a comfortable 93-71 win over Nadezhda. Vandersloot, the tournament's in-form point guard, had another standout performance with 13 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds and 6 steals.

Filling out the wing position, and confirming she would finish the Regular Season with the competition's best efficiency ranking, is Sonja Petrovic. In another stellar performance for the undefeated Dynamo Kursk, the Serbian international produced 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals as the Russian club held off CCC Polkowice, 83-73. 

A resurgent UMMC Ekaterinburg continued their strong run into the Quarter-Finals, this time bringing up three figures as they knocked over BLMA 100-61. Most of the damage was done in the paint, where Emma Meesseman, Brittney Griner and Raisa Musina combined for 55 points. Laying on the most damage was the Belgian Meesseman, who ended the game with 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting, deservedly earning her the power forward position in this week's Top Performer lineup.

Finally, rounding out this week's team is Frenchwoman Isabelle Yacoubou, whose individual brilliance halted what could have been a detrimental loss for Famila Schio. Traveling to Perfumerias Avenida, Schio needed to win, or at the least, avoid losing by more than 10, in order to take the last spot in the EuroLeague Women Quarter-Finals. Thanks to Yacoubou, this was achieved. Astonishingly the center was the only player on her team to record an efficiency in double digits, ending the game with 30, on the back of 22 points and 6 rebounds. In the end, Schio lost 65-58, but avoided the 10-point deficit that would have knocked them out of contention.

FIBA