EUROLEAGUE Women – Katie Smith stays red hot as Fenerbahce edge Lotos PKO BP
ISTANBUL (EuroLeague Women) - USA internationals Katie Smith, Tamika Catchings and Candace Wiggins made dramatic impacts for their new clubs on the opening night of the EuroLeague Women play-offs but only two tasted victory. Veteran guard Smith, fresh off her third straight Olympic gold-medal winning performance for the United States in ...
ISTANBUL (EuroLeague Women) - USA internationals Katie Smith, Tamika Catchings and Candace Wiggins made dramatic impacts for their new clubs on the opening night of the EuroLeague Women play-offs but only two tasted victory.
Veteran guard Smith, fresh off her third straight Olympic gold-medal winning performance for the United States in Beijing and an MVP effort in the WNBA Finals for Detroit, had 28 points to lead Fenerbahce past Lotos PKO BP Gdynia 87-83.
Tamika Catchings, who won a second consecutive Olympic gold in China, had 24 points and eight rebounds for Lotos.
Wiggins, meanwhile, a rising star in America who represented the country at last year's Beijing Basketball Test Event, poured in 23 points for Ros Casares in their 98-53 mauling of Broker Kosice in Valencia.
Brooke Queenan made two free throws with just two seconds remaining to lift MiZo Pécs 2010 to a 61-60 upset of Group B winners Umana Reyer Venezia in Italy.
Queenan was fouled by recent Umana Reyer signing Essence Carson and made the most of the opportunity.
Halcon Avenida rode a big home-court advantage to an 80-69 victory over CSKA Moscow.
Le'Coe Willingham poured in 21 points and both Petra Stampalija and Gunta Basko contributed 14 for the Salamanca outfit.
CSKA, who recently parted with Gundars Vetra (now at UMMC Ekaterinburg) and put former CSKA and Russia national team coach Igor Grudin back in charge, were just two of 18 from long range in the game.
They were in awe of the support that the Salamanca crowd gave to the home side.
"The atmosphere in the gym was absolutely fantastic and you feel as if you are playing against six players," Russia international Ilona Korstin said.
"Now we want to come back and play the third game here."
Bourges Basket thumped Gambrinus Sika Brno 72-57 in France.
Pierre Vincent's team, looking to avenge last year's overtime defeat to Gambrinus in the Final Four, got 19 points and 10 rebounds from rising star Endene Miyem while her fellow France international Emmeline Ndongue scored 17 and grabbed five boards.
"It was a big game," Vincent said.
"It's funny because we didn't use the tactical plans we scheduled.
"It was with our classic game we won. We defended very hard and with the one month break, all the girls were fresh.
"It's only the first step and we have one more game to win at Brno or at home."
MKB Euroleasing Sopron have the upper hand in their tie with Wisla Can-Pack Krakow after cruising in the second half to an 81-58 victory in Hungary.
Serbian sensation Jelena Milovanovic tore apart Wisla with 23 points and seven rebounds.
Lauren Jackson, Sylvia Fowles and Diana Taurasi had magnificent games for two-time defending champions Spartak Moscow Region as they claimed a 102-86 triumph in Vidnoje over USK Prague.
Fowles and Taurasi, who captured gold medals at the Olympics last summer for the United States, had 27 and 23 points, respectively, while Australia superstar Jackson poured in 25 with a game-high 14 rebounds.
Poland international Agnieszka Bibrzycka poured in 12 of her team-high 21 points in the first half as UMMC Ekaterinburg rolled to a 91-61 home triumph over TEO Vilnius.
Playing for the first time in Europe under Vetra, who replaced the sacked Laurent Buffard as coach, Ekaterinburg took a 24-point lead late in the second quarter and cruised.
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