FIBA Basketball

    EUROLEAGUE Women - Wambe heroics lift Lille over Riga, into eighth-finals

    LILLE (EuroLeague Women) - ESB Lille Metropole climbed above TTT Riga and into fourth place and the eighth-finals of the EuroLeague Women on Wednesday after edging Fenerbahce 60-59 in Group A. Lille, who needed a favor from Phard Napoli, got it when the Italian team held on to defeat Riga 68-65. CSKA Moscow, ...


    LILLE (EuroLeague Women) - ESB Lille Metropole climbed above TTT Riga and into fourth place and the eighth-finals of the EuroLeague Women on Wednesday after edging Fenerbahce 60-59 in Group A.

    Lille, who needed a favor from Phard Napoli, got it when the Italian team held on to defeat Riga 68-65.

    CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahce, MKB Euroleasing Sopron and ESB Lille all advanced to the next phase of the competition.

    Lille won their game right at the death when Belgium international Kathy Wambe drove through the lane and scored with a lay-up.

    In Group B, UMMC Ekaterinburg already had first place sewn up so there was not much significance to their 96-76 victory at Halcon Avenida, who finished fourth.

    The game that all eyes were on was Bourges' home clash against Wisla Can-Pack Krakow, a contest that would decide which side finished runners-up to Ekaterinburg and received home court advantage in the eighth-finals.

    Bourges, who upset Ekaterinburg last week, defeated Wisla 60-51 to improve to 6-4 and take over second spot to leave Wisla (5-5) in third place.

    Prague beat Jolly JBS Sibenik in a battle of teams already eliminated from contention.

    Ekaterinburg, Bourges, Wisla and Avenida all advanced.

    Group C winners Spartak Moscow Region finished strong, romping to a 96-62 victory over visiting US Valenciennes.

    Spartak, the defending champions, won nine of their 10 teams and were followed into the eighth-finals by Gambrinus Sika Brno (8-2), Lotos PKO BP (5-5) and USVO (4-6).

    Gambrinus hammered Dexia Namur 93-58 and Lotos PKO BP pulled away from Kosit 2013, 78-60, in the other Group C games.

    Ros Casares wrapped up their Group D with a perfect 10-0 record after an impressive second half against MiZo Pecs in Valencia.

    The Spanish side won 89-60 and they go into the next round ahead of second-placed Dynamo Moscow (6-4), MiZo (6-4) and TEO Vilnius (3-7).

    Dynamo Moscow won 90-63 over TEO and USO Basket clinched an 84-68 triumph over Germano Faenza Basket.

    FIBA