MUNICH (EuroCup Women) – Michelle Plouffe stepped up when it mattered most, inspiring a last-quarter surge to help EuroCup Women debutantes Lyon ASVEL Feminin to a first-leg win in the Round of 16.

The French hosts outscored InvestInTheWest ENEA Gorzow 30-16 in the final stanza to take a 90-82 win and put themselves in a decent position ahead of the return leg. Canada international Plouffe was the driving force, finishing the contest with 31 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and a week-high efficiency ranking of 36 to earn Top Performer honors in the process.

Reyer Venezia guard Debora Carangelo came the closest to the mark with an index of 33 after leading last year's finalists to a stunning 83-64 win over BLMA. The 26-year-old dominated the stat sheet with 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals.

She is joined in the backcourt by Julie McBride, who racked up similar numbers with 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists to lead Artego Bydgoszcz to a fifth consecutive win. The Polish side continued their fine fettle with a 77-60 win over KSC Szekszard.

Tarbes GB's Aby Gaye and Nantes Reze's Briana Day round out the Team of the Week in the frontcourt. Both players suffered defeat with their respective teams, albeit with different outlooks. Tarbes lost their first-leg encounter at MBK Ruzomberok narrowly, 65-68, with Gaye accounting for 18 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks.

Nantes Reze have a much bigger mountain to climb in the return leg, as they travel to Wisla CANPACK Krakow with a 20-point deficit. Reaching the Round of 16 as the lowest seed, the French succumbed to the favorites 67-87 despite a massive 24-point, 18-rebound double-double by Day.  

FIBA