Salamanca – USK Praha 71:59, Czech basketball champions finished fourth in the European League, Sopron celebrates its premiere title
Coach Natálie Hejková’s charge lost 74:83 to Fenerbahce on Friday and failed in the semis for the fourth time in a row in the Final Four. They only got into the fight for the title in 2015, when they won the tournament at home in Prague.
It is not possible to follow up on the third of 2019 on Sunday.
USK entered the fight for third place without the Spanish support of Maria Conde. The second most useful player of this year’s competition injured herself in six against Fenerbahk’s shoulder. Although the Prague team stopped the opponent’s start and two duels from 0: 5 to 8: 7 at the beginning, they then had to do without Teji Oblaková’s quarterback. Kahleah Copper hit her in the face during an elbow fight, and the Slovenian national team had to go to the cabin for treatment.
The Czech champions, who have already played in this way in the wounds of Conde, Barbora Bálintová and Simona Sklenářová in a close rotation of six players, continued their good defense and thanks to nine points Veronica Voráčková won the first quarter by seven points.
During the second part, she returned to the game Oblaková and five points helped USK to start again. The Prague team developed a lead of up to nine points, but after hitting Domínguez and Rodríguez, they left for the cabinet with a five-point tip of 37:32. Opponents outperformed mainly in rebounds (25:14), their best shot at the time was 13 points with 13 points.
But the opponent had a good entry into the second half and nine bodywork in a row, duel two. The USK players stopped doing well, scoring only three points in seven minutes and their shortfall increased. After another eleven points in a row, the Spanish team ran into the lead 52:40, driven mainly by the author of 20 points, Katie Lou Samuelson. It was only at the end of the third part that the people of Prague got within range of eight points thanks to Jones’ next allotment.
At the start of the final quarter, Voráčková gave the top three and once again reduced the loss to just five points by Dragana Stankovičová. But the Spanish team answered and got twice the highest difference in the match 13 points, which they did twice in the third quarter.
“It’s not a picture of the whole season, but only of this tournament. He caught us at the most critical moment of the whole season. Teja Oblaková and already has it definitely broken, it was difficult what to do with the set, how we did not succeed, and we did not succeed very well, because in the second half we were already they didn’t have it, “Hejková said after losing the bronze medal match in an interview with Czech Radio.
Since the USK triumph in 2015, Russian clubs have reigned over the competition. Ekaterinburg won the last three years, which also succeeded in 2016. Five years ago, Kursk celebrated. This year, Russian clubs were excluded due to the invasion of Ukraine, and their absence was taken advantage of by Sopron. The 16th Gabby Williams signed the final win.
Final Four of the European Basketball League in Istanbul: |
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3rd place: |
USK Prague – Salamanca 59:71 (19:12, 37:32, 46:54) |
Most points: Jones 26, Voráčková 14, Oblaková and Thomas after 7 – Katie Lou Samuelson 25, Hofová 10, Domínguez 8. Fouls: 16:21. Free throw: 19.10. – 13.10. Threes: 3: 7. Rebounds: 51:30. |
Final: |
Sopron – Fenerbahce Istanbul 60:55 (16: 6, 29:19, 45:38) |
Most points: Williams 16, Fegyverneky 12, January 11 – Jagupova 13, Zahui 12, Cakirova 11. |