EuroCup Women Qualifiers: Day 4 review
KRASNOYARSK (EuroCup Women 2017) – The last three remaining tickets for the EuroCup Women 2017 Regular Season were snapped up on Thursday by Samsun and two competition newcomers in VBW CEKK Cegled and YDUBGD who both made history by reaching the main phase of the tournament for the first time.
The opening game of the day saw Hungarian underdogs VBW CEKK Cegled squeezed out 67-65 at Enisey Krasnoyarsk, but there were still celebrations on the final buzzer from the visitors and in the locker room afterwards. That's because they punched their ticket courtesy of their blistering 22-point first-leg success.
Qualified ✔️ Eurocup bound! @EuroCupWomen pic.twitter.com/LucZaetYT9
— Molly (@MollySchlmr) October 13, 2016
Maja Skoric continued her good form with 18 points and Dora Medgyessey came up with 8 assists. It proved to be too little, too late, for Enisey as Annalise Pickrel harvested 15 points and 12 rebounds. Cegled will play in Group A during the Regular Season against Maccabi Bnot, Hoptrans-Sirenos of Lithuania and former EuroLeague Women powerhouse, Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje.
There was a wake-up call for YDUBGD as they carried a 29-point first-leg lead to Istanbul Universitesi where they fell after a 68-57 defeat, but advanced to make history – thanks to their outstanding efforts in the previous match-up. Angelica Robinson accumulated a wonderful double-double of 20 points and 18 rebounds and she will continue to be a pivotal figure for YDUBGD when they play in Group D with Olympiacos, Good Angels Kosice and Aluinvent Miskolc.
The most dramatic game came in Orenburg where local favourites Chevakata were trying to overturn a slender three points worth of arrears from the first leg in Turkey. With almost nothing between the teams for seven consecutive quarters across the tie, it was all level with ten minutes remaining. The wheels then came crashing off for the Russian side as they allowed the visitors to post a spectacular 17-0 run, which was the foundation for a 70-61 victory.
Once again Eshaya Murphy produced a sparkling effort with a mammoth 27 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, while Luca Ivankovic was on form too with a smart 16 points. Emma Cannon did her best for the home team with a huge 27 points and 10 boards, but it is Samsun who collected a first-ever road win in the competition and will now get to compete in Group C with Dynamo Novosibirsk, Galatasaray and TTT Riga.
FIBA
