Fuente: © FIBA (Federación Internacional de Basket)
http://www.fiba.org/

FIBA Europe - Wins for Russian clubs

/noticias.info/ MOSCOW (EuroLeague Women) - Russian teams BC Volgaburmash and UMMC Ekaterinburg both made winning starts to their respective campaigns for the 2005-6 EuroLeague Women season.

Reigning champions BC Volgaburmash cut down every team in their path en route to EuroLeague glory last season and they have already this year won the 2005 FIBA Women's World League Crown.

The Samara-based giants, a team loaded with international stars, broke open a close game in the third quarter and claimed a 70-59 triumph over Dexia Namur.

Maria Stepanova and Ann Wauters each had 15 points in the win.

Dexia, one of the leading sides in Belgium, showed tremendous fight in a game that was played in hostile territory.

They tied the game at 38-38 on a jump shot from Elzbieta Miedzik a minute and seven seconds into the second half, but Volgaburmash, who had led by as many as 11 points in the first half, then took control by scoring the next six points of the game.

A pair of Stepanova free throws, an Ilona Korsten jump shot and two Edwige Lawson shots from the charity stripe gave the home side a 44-38 advantage - and they never trailed again.

Stepanova finished a perfect seven of seven from the line and also finished with nine rebounds.

Anna Wielebnowska had a game-high 18 points and also pulled down seven rebounds for Dexia.

Meanwhile, UMMC Ekaterinburg trailed early but hit back to beat Famila Schio of Italy 60-51.

The hosts prevailed after dominating the boards, grabbing 44 rebounds - 12 of them on the offensive glass - to just 25 for Famila.

Ekaterina Sytnyak - with a name like that she should play for Ekaterinburg - led the winners in scoring with 18 points on seven of nine shooting, and also hauled down seven rebounds.

Suzie Batkovic, the winners' Australian international, had nine points and nine boards while Elena Karpova weighed in with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Famila were able to cause some problems with their long-range shooting as they made seven of 12 from the arc, but Ekaterinburg's preference to feed the ball into the low post paid dividends with baskets, or trips to the foul line where they sank 19 of 22 (86.3%) compared to just two of six (33.3%) for Famila.

The Italian team led 23-16 early in the second quarter after one of Emanuele Ramon's three three-pointers - she made all of her attempts in the contest - and also went ahead at 27-20 following a jump shot from Beathny Donaphin.

The home team scored the last six points of the first half to trail 27-26, but Famila held firm and led until 4:05 remained in the third quarter when Sytnyak made a pair of free throws to tie the game at 36-36.

On their next trip down the floor, Karpova buried a jump shot for a two-point lead.

Ekaterinburg, due largely to their hegemony on the boards, stretched their lead and stayed in front for the remainder of the contest.

Famila got a team-high 15 points from Raffaella Masciadri.

Delisha Milton scored 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as Czech Republic heavyweights Gambrinus Brno hammered MKB Euroleasing 96-71 on the opening day of the EuroLeague Women.

Brno, last season's beaten finalists - they suffered an excruciating 69-66 defeat at BC Volgaburmash in the championship game - trailed by 11 points in the second quarter.

However, Jan Bobrovsky's team finished the first half with a flourish, scoring the last seven points, with Eva Viteckova's three-pointer in the final minute cutting MKB's lead to 41-40 at the intermission.

The home team then grabbed control in the third quarter.

After a Nikki Teasley three-pointer had pulled MKB to within 48-47, Brno reeled off 10 straight points, capped by a three-point play from Milton.

She received a pass from Petra Kulichova and buried a jump shot, and was fouled by Olexandra Gorbunova. Milton made the free throw for a 57-47 lead, and Brno were on their way to a big victory.

Phard Napoli claimed an important win on Wednesday in the very first round of the EuroLeague women by prevailing 68-59 in Group C at Wisla Can-Pack Krakow.

Triumphs away from home will make passage to the next phase off the competition so much easier, so Roberto Ricchini, the coach of Phard, will be smiling all the way back to the south of Italy.

Mery Andrade, the visitors 1.84m forward, had about as good a game a player hopes to have in a European opener, leading Phard with 17 points on eight of 12 shooting, including one of one from the arc.

She also pulled down seven rebounds in the contest.

Andrade's jump shot early in the second quarter put her team in front at 22-21, and came during an 8-0 run which saw them take a 26-21 lead.

Victoria Bullett's jumper midway through the third quarter extended Phard's advantage to 37-27 - their biggest lead of the game.

Wisla refused to let Phard pull away, however, and three times closed to within a single point in the fourth quarter, the last when Jelena Skerovic buried a three-pointer with 7:25 left in the game.

They would never draw level, though, as the Italians seized a win which could be a sign that a successful campaign awaits them.

Anna De Forge had a game-high 24 points in defeat. She was outstanding from long range, burying six of eight attempts, but woeful inside the arc as she made just one of seven shots.

GROUP A
USK Praha 57 - 65 USO Basket
VBM-SGAU 70 - 59 Dexia Namur
Ros Casares 64 - 77 MiZo-Pécs

1. MiZo-Pécs 1/0
2. VBM-SGAU Samara 1/0
3. USO Mondeville Basket 1/0
4. USK Praha 0/1
5. Dexia Namur 0/1
6. Ros Casares Valencia 0/1

GROUP B
Gambrinus 96 - 71 MKB
UMMC 60 - 51 Famila
Bourges Basket 79 - 56 Lotos Gdynia

1. Bourges Basket 1/0
2. Gambrinus Sika Brno 1/0
3. UMMC Ekaterinburg 1/0
4. Famila Schio 0/1
5. MKB Euroleasing Sopron 0/1
6. Lotos Gdynia 0/1

GROUP C
Wisla Can-Pack 59 - 68 Phard Napoli
USVO 73 - 64 Dynamo

1. Phard Napoli 1/0
2. US Valenciennes Olympic 1/0
3. Dynamo Moscow 0/1
4. Wisla Can-Pack Krakow 0/1
5. Lietuvos Telekomas Vilnius 0/0
6. K Cero I.C.P. Kosice 0/0 notas_de_prensa_archivo