03/04/2006
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FIBA Europe - Gambrinus win title
BRNO (EuroLeague Women) - Gambrinus Sika Brno and the Czech Republic now officially rule women's basketball in Europe.
The Czechs beat Russia in last year's EuroBasket for Women in Turkey and many of those same players helped Gambrinus to their first EuroLeague Women's title in a 68-54 win over BC Volgaburmash in Brno.
In a rematch of last year's EuroLeague championship game, Jan Bobrovsky's team got sweet revenge.
The Czech players shone, but an American, 29-year-old Nykesha Sales, drove the nails in the coffin for Brno. Sales scored all of her game-high 16 points in the fourth quarter while Czech internationals Hana Machova and Eva Viteckova weighed in with 14 and 12, respectively, for the winners.
The home side never trailed, although they were unable to pull away from Igor Grudin's team after storming out to a 20-6 advantage on a Viteckova three-pointer with 3:52 remaining in the first quarter.
After consecutive three-pointers from Olga Arteshina and Amaya Valdemoro, Edwige Lawson scored six straight points on jump shots as Volgaburmash cut the deficit to 25-22 with 7:06 to play in the first half.
A recurring theme began to develop. Every time Volgaburmash began to breathe down the necks off the Gambrinus players, they always had an answer.
Gambrinus scored six straight points after Lawson's mini spurt and ended up leading 38-31 at half-time.
Volgaburmash closed to within three on consecutive jumpers from Lawson and Ilona Korstin to make it 38-35 early in the third, and a Maria Stepanova jump shot againo trimmed the deficit to three at 40-37.
Gambrinus always responded.
After Stepanova's shot, Delisha Milton was the next to score for Gambrinus, burying a three-pointer to take the lead to 43-37.
Twice Volgaburmash pulled to within two early in the fourth, when Svetlana Abrosimova - like Sales a former Lady Husky at UConn - made a jumper and then Valdemoro sank a three-pointer.
They got even closer.
Ann Wauters made a jumper to pull the Samara team to within 49-48 with 7:45 to play in the game.
But Sales, who helped the Connecticut Sun reach the WNBA Finals earlier this year, delivered a mighty blow as she replied with a three-pointer and Gambrinus stayed in front.
Volgaburmash were never able to draw level.
Stepanova had 15 points and eight rebounds to lead Volgaburmash, who will now return to the Superleague in Russia where they have not lost a game all season.
This defeat was the Samara club's second in the EuroLeague Women as they slipped up against MiZo Pecs of Hungary early in the competition.
Gambrinus settled another score by beating Volgaburmash.
In October 2005, Volgaburmash captured their second straight FIBA Women's World League by beating Brno in the final.
By PA Sport
The Czechs beat Russia in last year's EuroBasket for Women in Turkey and many of those same players helped Gambrinus to their first EuroLeague Women's title in a 68-54 win over BC Volgaburmash in Brno.
In a rematch of last year's EuroLeague championship game, Jan Bobrovsky's team got sweet revenge.
The Czech players shone, but an American, 29-year-old Nykesha Sales, drove the nails in the coffin for Brno. Sales scored all of her game-high 16 points in the fourth quarter while Czech internationals Hana Machova and Eva Viteckova weighed in with 14 and 12, respectively, for the winners.
The home side never trailed, although they were unable to pull away from Igor Grudin's team after storming out to a 20-6 advantage on a Viteckova three-pointer with 3:52 remaining in the first quarter.
After consecutive three-pointers from Olga Arteshina and Amaya Valdemoro, Edwige Lawson scored six straight points on jump shots as Volgaburmash cut the deficit to 25-22 with 7:06 to play in the first half.
A recurring theme began to develop. Every time Volgaburmash began to breathe down the necks off the Gambrinus players, they always had an answer.
Gambrinus scored six straight points after Lawson's mini spurt and ended up leading 38-31 at half-time.
Volgaburmash closed to within three on consecutive jumpers from Lawson and Ilona Korstin to make it 38-35 early in the third, and a Maria Stepanova jump shot againo trimmed the deficit to three at 40-37.
Gambrinus always responded.
After Stepanova's shot, Delisha Milton was the next to score for Gambrinus, burying a three-pointer to take the lead to 43-37.
Twice Volgaburmash pulled to within two early in the fourth, when Svetlana Abrosimova - like Sales a former Lady Husky at UConn - made a jumper and then Valdemoro sank a three-pointer.
They got even closer.
Ann Wauters made a jumper to pull the Samara team to within 49-48 with 7:45 to play in the game.
But Sales, who helped the Connecticut Sun reach the WNBA Finals earlier this year, delivered a mighty blow as she replied with a three-pointer and Gambrinus stayed in front.
Volgaburmash were never able to draw level.
Stepanova had 15 points and eight rebounds to lead Volgaburmash, who will now return to the Superleague in Russia where they have not lost a game all season.
This defeat was the Samara club's second in the EuroLeague Women as they slipped up against MiZo Pecs of Hungary early in the competition.
Gambrinus settled another score by beating Volgaburmash.
In October 2005, Volgaburmash captured their second straight FIBA Women's World League by beating Brno in the final.
By PA Sport
