EuroCup Women: Thursday Round-up

ATHENS (EuroCup Women 2017) – There were contrasting fortunes for two Regular Season rookies and potential EuroCup Women 2017 challengers as Yakin Dogu Universitesi won a nail-biter against Oympiacos.

With both teams having stacked the talent high during the off-season, the Group D opener always promised to be intense. And so it proved, as the visitors left the home fans disappointed by snatching a 55-53 victory.

It came off the back of a powerful double-double for Quanitra Hollingsworth who plundered 18 points and 11 rebounds for the winning team and was thrilled to get the right result for her team.

She declared, "I think it was a team effort for sure - it was a tough game.

"We knew Olympiacos were a strong team and it's great to come out with a victory in our first game."

Meanwhile, Greek veteran Evanthia Maltsi who scored 19 points for the hosts was disappointed, but remaining positive and added, "I don’t think that they were better than us. For sure we were not 100% prepared as a team, we were nervous and missed so many easy baskets – and I did too.

"For a home game, we had awful statistics in our two-point attempts as our opponents played hard in defence.

"We wanted to win this so much. We were in the game and we sent a message to Europe that we are here now.

"We will be stronger and we will have a better performance in the forthcoming games," concluded Maltsi.

It was a first ever Regular Season success for Yakin Dogu Universitesi and that same note of history was scattered around Thursday’s games as another club who emerged from the Qualifiers in VBW CEKK Cegled continued their good form.

Once again it was Nora Nagy-Bujdoso who shone brightly with 24 points and 8 rebounds as she catapulted the Hungarian side to a convincing 76-61 success in Kaunas against Group A rivals Hoptrans-Sirenos, who were playing in their first game in the tournament. However, the main talking point was a phenomenal 14 assists from Dora Medgyessy.

Other newcomers to write a line of history were MBA Moscow who enjoyed their first EuroCup Women footsteps by taking an exciting 73-69 Group B triumph against PEAC-Pecs in the Russian capital. Anna Leshkovtseva led the way with a dazzling 26 points.

In Group E, Nantes Reze shrugged off a slow start to eventually outlast Basketball Nymburk 72-62. Yet again, the main architect was Canadian forward Katherine Plouffe who came up with a fine 22 points and 13 rebounds.

Also on French soil, Flammes Carolo Basket managed to ease out Udominate Umea 83-72 in Group H thanks to a brilliant double-double from Les Bleues playmaker Amel Bouderra who registered a terrific 23 points and 12 assists.

For more on Thursday's EuroCup Women action, check out our Live Feed.

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