The USK Prague basketball players lost to the sovereign Fenerbahce 54:63 in the European League

Prague – The basketball players of ZVVZ USK Prague lost in the 4th round of the extension part of the European League at home to the leader of group F Fenerbahce Istanbul 54:63 and are still not sure of progressing to the playoffs. However, a possible win by Zaragoza on the board of the fifth Venice on Thursday can secure it for them. The Czech champions have a balance of four wins and five defeats in the five-member group after the withdrawal of Polish Polkowice in third place. The last duel awaits them on Tuesday, January 28 at home against Zaragoza.

In the colors of the winners, Belgian star Emma Meessemanová shone with 19 points and nine rebounds. Even the double double of Brionna Jones for 12 points and 12 rebounds did not prevent the defeat from the defending champions from the last two seasons. The only other scorer with double-digit points was the home team’s Valériane Ayayi (11 points).

“I’m a little disappointed, but it turned out that the kind of squad they have is so wide that we resisted and resisted until we couldn’t resist. They started playing very aggressively in defense and thus it was difficult for us to get to the basket players at all .And when the fouls were judged very strangely, it was a problem. It turned out that when we lost it because of the aggressive defense, the second pass was already there naïve. That’s why we gave only 54 points. On the other hand, getting 63 points from Fener is not bad,” USK coach Natália Hejková told reporters.

Jones opened the scoring after 108 seconds, giving six of USK’s ten points in the opening, but Fenerbahce matched the home team’s lead five times, before the eight-point streak of the Prague team came and the lead was 18:10. Emese Hofová contributed to this with two successful shots shortly after entering the court. Just before the end of the first quarter, Tina Charles broke the streak.

Ayayi started the second ten-minute period with the first three-pointer of the game, and in the 12th minute, after her two free throws, the home players already led 25:14. However, Fenerbahce responded with an 8-0 run, which was cut by Veronika Voráčková, but the Turkish team continued to lose. With the score 27:26, the home team’s Maite Cazorla scored from a distance. In the 39th minute, Julie Allemandová tied Fenerbahce’s first triple to 32:32, and before halftime, after one successful free throw by Gabby Williams, the group leader led for the first time, 35:34.

Jones started the third quarter with a basket, but it was USK’s last lead in the game. Fenerbahce bounced back with seven points in a row – four were given by the French star Williams, while Meesseman, the most valuable player of the Europa League from the past two seasons, scored three points. At the beginning of the final quarter, Fenerbahce missed eight points for the third time. Tereza Vyoralová and Ayayi still corrected to 49:53, but the favorite kept the finish. Cazorla adjusted the difference by nine points with a triple.

The women from Prague also suffered losses and had 21 of them. “Already in the first half there were an awful lot of them. Seventeen is an awfully big number. It’s always the same mistake that we underestimate it and give it naively. It ends up somewhere in the car. These are not forced mistakes , but inattention,” added Hejková.

European Women’s Basketball League

Group F:

ZVVZ USK Prague – Fenerbahce Istanbul 54:63 (18:12, 34:35, 45:50)

Most points: Jones 12, Ayayi 11, Hof and Cazorla 8 each – Meesseman 19, Onar 8, Williams 7. Fouls: 15:13. Free throws: 10/8 – 18/13. Triples: 4:2. Rebounds: 45:36.

Table:

Note Polkowice withdrew from the competition.

Sport basketball superstructure Fenerbahce women 4th round AUDIO USK European League PHOTO VERSION 2