ISTANBUL (Turkey) - Perfumerias Avenida finished their EuroLeague Women campaign on a winning note after they outlasted ZVVZ USK Praha 71-59 in the Third Place Game at the Final Four.

As both teams tried to react to the disappointment of their respective Semi-Final losses 48 hours earlier, it was last year's runners-up who came out on top in a physical and intense battle.

Turning point: Avenida shifted up a gear either side of the half-time interval with an impressive 24-3 run that put them into the ascendancy. 

Game hero(es): Katie Lou Samuelson signed off the season with her second highest EuroLeague Women tally in an Avenida vest as she erupted for 25 points, as well as 4 rebounds and 3 steals. The loss was tough on Brionna Jones who had 26 points and 11 rebounds in defeat.

Stats Don't Lie: ZVVZ USK Praha had 19 turnovers compared to just 10 from their opponents. The lack of depth for Praha was also exposed with just one solitary basket coming from the bench, compared to 22 points for Perfumerias Avenida.

Bottom line: Despite a sluggish start, Avenida finally came alive in this one, sparked by the excellent play from Samuelson. Their superior depth and options was important as they secured consecutive podium finishes. On the flip-side, they might depart Istanbul with a tinge of regret at their tepid Semi-Final showing against Sopron when they never got going. 

ZVVZ USK Praha were short on options, hampered by the absence of the injured Maria Conde and deprived of Teja Oblak for a long period as she received treatment for a facial injury. They just didn't have enough in the tank during both games, despite their marquee stars Brionna Jones and Alyssa Thomas. 

They said:  "I thought we played from the first possession of the game until the end. Praha are a really good team and we knew that we had to be ready." - Perfumerias Avenida game-winner, Katie Lou Samuelson

"I am proud of my players as we overcome a lot of difficult situations. I follow them, they don't follow me. They are the best group that I have coached in my life. I love them. They deserve this bronze medal and I am happy for them. It is not about winning or losing. It's that today, we actually looked like ourselves." - Perfumerias Avenida head coach, Roberto Iniguez.

"We knew when we came into this game we would have to play hard for 40 minutes. We did, but we lost it in the third quarter. We played hard across both of our games and I am proud of my team. We will be back." - ZVVZ USK Praha center, Brionna Jones.

"I am proud of my team because we were fighting. We were not lucky in this tournament. You have to be lucky and be prepared. For us everything was the opposite this time. We lost Maria Conde in the first game and then Teja Oblak broke her nose in this one. But I thank all my players for their effort." - ZVVZ USK Praha head coach, Natalia Hejkova

FIBA