In the last quarter, USK Praha lost hope for the Euroleague finals. Fenerbahce – ČT sport – Czech Television will play against Sopron
Not even 22 quarterbacks, Teja Oblaková, were enough for the Czech champions. Brionna Jones scored one point less, Alyssa Thomas scored a double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. The home team, which was placed in the role of the main favorite before the tournament, was pulled in front of the full hall by Alina Jagupovová with 24 points.
According to coach Natálie Hejková, the match broke in the final ten-minute period, and the Pražanky players entered the lowlands with a four-point lead, but without the injured shooter Mária Condeová. She injured her shoulder after a collision with her opponent. USK lost the last part 11:24.
“The settings and mood in the team changed at that moment,” Hejková told Czech Television and Czech Radio. “Oblaková played the player well and Conde did her injuries. Then, when they doubled the defense on Teja or helped each other, there was no one to support the under-player players and they were simply defending,” Hejková said.
The trustee of the Slovak coach, who celebrated her 68th birthday the day before the match, was eliminated for the fourth time in a row in the fifth participation in the Final Four. They only got into the fight for the title in 2015, when they won the tournament at home in Prague. On Sunday, he will try to get third place as he did three years ago.
“I have no information, but it is certain that Maria’s shoulder has fallen off. She has operated on both of them, so it will not be an easy detailed injury and I do not think she will start on Sunday. “That was twice when Conde couldn’t play and Fenerbahce played five to four and didn’t even wait for treatment. That’s not very fair,” Hejková said.
In a stormy atmosphere, USK kept pace with his opponent from the beginning and thanks to a thirteen-point line in the second part, he took the lead in the whistle 41:36. The Prague team finished the first half with a difference of seven points and at that time they surpassed their opponents in rebounds. They dominated in a ratio of 22:12, of which twelve were offensive.
In addition, the USK had an excellent start to the second part, continued to punish Fenerbahce’s losses and took the lead by thirteen points. However, the favorite was pulled down by important USK player Amanda Zahui with important three, and together with the team of coach Víctor Lapeni, the audience also came to life.
“I’m sorry, we knew that Zahui was just a three-point shooter. We warned not to give a basket, but that’s the way someone always breaks. I have to say we defended quite well anyway,” she said. Hejková.
The Prague women, who were already in the close rotation of seven players, started the last part with a lead of 63:59, but without the injured Conde, they soon lost the tip against the aroused opponent. Fenerbahce pulled the match to his side with a string of thirteen points, and in addition to the 18-point Zahui, fans and the best shooter Jagupova applauded.
“The players coped with the pressure from the fans, but unfortunately they didn’t manage who decides the fate of the match. I’m already starting to have trouble coping with when the referees go to watch the video and when they don’t. And they went there mostly at a time when it was mostly against us, “added the Slovak coach.
Sopron managed to retaliate for the last season in the Final Four against Salamanca last season. The Hungarian team then lost in six Spanish rivals 61:72 and finished fourth. Salamanca, who defended last year’s second place in the final start of the final tournament, failed in the semi-finals of the Final Four for the first time in history.
The winning team of coach David Gaspar was pulled by the Serbian national team Jelena Brooks, author of 27 points. Bernadette Hatarová’s pivot also did well, recording a double double with 15 bodies and 10 rebounds. Not even the 23 points of the most useful player of this year’s Kahleah Copper competition were enough for Salamanca.
Copper was the main face of her team, especially in the second half, when Salamanca was already 17 points behind. Thanks to a fighter run led by an American shooter, the Spanish team caught up with a seven-point deficit six minutes before the end. In the dramatic conclusion, Salamanca even approached by a difference of four points, but Sopron did not let the process run away in the end.
The Hungarian team will repeat the winning participation from 2018. At that time, it was not enough for Ekaterinburg. He is missing this year in the Final Four, as Russian teams were excluded from the competition after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Final Four of the European Basketball League in Istanbul – semis:
Fenerbahce Istanbul – ZVVZ USK Prague 83:74 (28:23, 38:45, 59:63)
Most points: Jagupova 24, Zahui 18, McBrideova 15 – Oblakova 22, Jonesova 21, Thomasova 12. Fouls: 19:20. Free throws: 13/10 – 18/13. Threes: 11: 1. Rebounds: 30:39.
Salamanca – Sopron 69:74 (13:22, 31:47, 52:64)
Most points: Copper 23, Cazorla and KL Samuelson 9 – Brooks 27, Hatar 15, Williams 13.