Neftchi remain dominant in FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series Debrecen Stop 2023

DEBRECEN (Hungary) - Neftchi make it four stop wins as they beat Düsseldorf ZOOS 10 - 21 in the final to win the FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series Debrecen Stop 2023 on August 27-28.

Here’s how it went down in the twentieth stop of the season.

The Winners: Neftchi

Recent stop winners Neftchi came to Debrecen with a point to prove. After a historic victory in Melilla, they lost early in home town Baku. 

Well, if they wanted to make a statement they did so emphatically. It was a perfect first day for the team from Azerbaijan, not only scoring 43 points over the two games, but holding both their opponents to under 10 points each. In their first game against Ukraine, Alexandra Mollenhauer went to work inside the paint and from deep as she put up 7 points, as did Brianna Fraser who wasn’t afraid to shoot from deep as well. They made easy work of the USA U24 side with both Mollenhauer and Fraser combining for 18 points to lead them to victory. 

They met their match in the Quarter-Finals, taking on home side Gyor. Klaudia Papp and Mollenhauer went back and forth early, dictating the pattern that would follow. Both teams would catch fire offensively, answering back each time the other scored. The difference never went higher than two, all until late on as a two from Papp and another bucket by Janka Hegedus would give them a three-point advantage. Fraser would answer back though, going ballistic as she leveled things up. Her and Carter scored a bucket each to give them a two point lead before Dora Medgyessy drained a clutch two to tie things up. Boglarka Bach would score with seconds left on the clock, but Mollenhauer would answer back quick. Bach had the shot to win it all at the buzzer but fell short. In OT, Carter would space and drained a two to pick up an enthralling victory 20 - 18.

They kept going against home support, taking on Hungary next led by an on-fire Virag Weninger. Though she put up seven points and four rebounds, it just wouldn’t be enough as a monstrous 9 point-8 rebound game from Fraser along with a 7-point display by Ulyanova would book them a spot in the final. 

Runners-up: Düsseldorf ZOOS

Düsseldorf were ROLLING! With the same four that won the last stop in Baku, the team continued just where they left off in Hungary. 

They started off with a demolishing 22 - 7 win against Azerbaijan. Yuka Maeda was lethal from deep, draining three from beyond the arc. Katsura joined in with a couple twos herself. Crowder and Degbeon were immense on the boards as well, contributing a combined 9 points to boot. 

Katsura and Crowder went off against home side Gyor, combining for 14 points. Degbeon grabbed 9 rebounds as well while also locking down Janka Hegedűs in the paint. The side won 21 - 14 to end Day 1 with a perfect record. 

They started off the knockout stages with a defensive masterclass. Kayla Wells, Shyanna Sellers and Teisha Hyman had showed out so far in the tournament, but they only combined for 4 points against the Commercial side from Germany. Azana Baines kept the battle strong, scoring 7 points and 6 rebounds but it just wasn’t enough as a clinical and collective performance from Düsseldorf granted them a battle against Lithuania in the Semi-Finals. 

Lithuania were looking strong heading into the game against Düsseldorf, having beaten the youthful Canada in the Quarter-Finals. Monika Grigalauskyte was immense for her side in this game, but her efforts would be futile as Düsseldorf came out swinging early. Katsura and Degbeon took on the offensive duties early on, handing her team an advantage that they would never relinquish. Crowder came into the scoring fold as well, putting up 6 points. It was Katsura who called game with a two to hand her team a 13 - 19 victory and another spot in the final. 

 

The Finals

Düsseldorf ZOOS 10 - 21 Neftchi

A battle of size vs. speed, the battle of the commercial teams was going to come down to execution. 

Neftchi went to Ulyanova early who had been on fire in the knockout stages. Degbeon, who usually has to contend with guarding one big now had two in the opposition, both on hot form. She scored early as well, but the team from Azerbaijan would start pulling away off the back of Mollenhauer and Carter who would compliment Ulyanova early on.

Few minutes into the game, it was Fraser’s turn. She was a threat from all parts of the court, using her strength and size to dominate the paint even against a strong match for her in Degbeon, but also punishing the German side from deep. They ran away with a huge 5 - 12 deficit, which would force Düsseldorf to chuck up twos in hopes of closing the gap. A shot they could usually rely on, it went horribly wrong for them in the final as they went 0-11 from deep. 

Neftchi kept finding good shots, and would keep pulling away. Fraser found Ulyanova at the end who would score the winning layup to hand Neftchi the 10 - 21 win in the battle of the on-form Commercial teams. It would be their fourth Stop win of the season. 

MVP - Brianna Fraser

Unstoppable as ever, Brianna Fraser picked up her third MVP award of the season. She finished as top scorer with 39 points, highest in player value with 42.7 and second in rebounds with a whopping 27. A defensive lock-down machine who can score from anywhere on the court, Fraser is a PROBLEM!

Final standings

1. Neftchi (AZE)

2. Dusseldorf ZOOS (GER)

3.  Hungary

4. Lithuania

5. Canada

6. Austria

7. Gyor (HUN)

8. USA U24

9. Egypt

10. Latvia

11. Ukraine

12. Azerbaijan

The FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series returns to France next as the Pont du Gard stop 2023 takes place on August 31 - September 1.