EUROLEAGUE WOMEN – National team stars spark teams in vital play-off triumphs

VALENCIA (EuroLeague Women) - International stars led four more teams into the EuroLeague Women Quarter-Finals on Wednesday night.

Spain's Marta Fernandez (pictured) and Cindy Lima and the Czech Republic's Jana Vesela each had a big hand in Ros Casares' 86-63 triumph over MKB Euroleasing in the deciding third game of their Eighth-Finals tie.

Lima, the gritty power forward/center, had 10 points and nine rebounds, Fernandez poured in nine points and dished out four assists while Vesela contributed eight points and excellent defense.

Ros overcame the absence of Spain national team star Laia Palau, who missed her second straight play-off game with a groin injury.

Fernandez, the sister of Spain's Rudy Fernandez, said: "We are very happy. Our first objective was to get through to the Quarter-Finals and tonight we achieved that."

Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje no longer have Diana Taurasi and Lauren Jackson but they have plenty of talent and determination and that was on show in a 69-63 Game 3 victory over visiting Beretta-Famila Schio.

USA international Sue Bird finished with 18 points while veteran American center and recent signing Taj McWilliams contributed 14 points and nine boards.

Schio got 18 points from Italy's Laura Macchi and 16 points with 14 rebounds by Janel McCarville, a Sparta&K player last season.

Sparta&K are trying to win their fifth EuroLeague Women title in a row.

"It was a tough game, a real war," McWilliams said.

"We made some great defensive stops which in combination with some crucial offensive rebounds brought us the desired result.

"(Irina) Osipova was the key, especially in the last minutes.

"We need to play like this the whole game."

Russia international Osipova had eight points, eight boards and two blocked shots.

Greece international Stella Kaltsidou made seven of nine shots from the field, including all three of her attempts from long range, en route to a game-high 23 points for Bourges as they won their Eighth-Finals decider against Good Angels Kosice, 79-68.

France's Emmeline Ndongu weighed in with 14 points a and eight boards for Bourges.

Bourges shut down Candice Dupree, holding the USA gold-medal winner from last summer to just two points on one of six shooting from the floor although she did haul in 14 rebounds.

Crystal Langhorne poured in 20 points and corralled eight boards for Kosice.

Cras Basket Taranto became the first Italian team in nine years to reach the Quarter-Finals of the competition.

Having suffered a 73-56 home defeat to ZVVZ USK Prague in the opening game, Taranto won Game 2 75-73 and they returned to Italy for Game 3 and trounced the Czechs, 83-49.

Belgium point guard Kathy Wambe and Italy center Dubravka Dacic each scored 16 points for Taranto.

France's Elodie Godin added 12 points and 10 rebounds and Megan Mahoney contributed 13 points and nine boards.

Roberto Ricchini, the Cras Basket Taranto coach, said:

"I am happy for this historic achievement of my club.

"I praise the sacrifice and the power of my team against a strong team like Prague.

"Now we are more confident for the next round of EuroLeague."

The Czechs had lost one of their most important players, Eva Viteckova, in Game 2 to a fractured finger.

Prague boss Lubor Blazek, who led the team to a silver medal at the FIBA World Championship for Women last year, said: "I'm sorry for this exit from the EuroLeague.

"I think that the team wasn't responsive during the important part of the game, handing the victory to a stubborn team like Taranto.

"I would like to underscore how much we missed Viteckova."

FIBA