Euroleague Women - Sopron vs Fenerbahce Quarter Final Series Report
Three teams had already secured a spot in this year's Final Four, but two clubs had to go all the way to be separated. Both Sopron and Fenerbahce had played well in the competition so far and the two were eager to take the final semi final spot on offer - a task that did not prove easy for either side.
Game one was heated and somewhat unpredictable, as Fenerbahce had to assert their dominance over Sopron to emerge victors by five points. The following week in game two saw Fenerbahce go 6-0 up after two minutes. They then went 13 points up mid-way through the first quarter. Sopron struck back with good play in the paint and Yvonne Turner sank a three to tie the scores. It was a scrappy affair, though, with a lot of points coming from free throws in the game. Late in the second quarter Jelena Milovanovic made a jump shot to give Sopron their first lead, but Kelsey Plum tied the scores with a layup seconds from half time.
The second half saw great three-point shooting early on from both teams as they contested advantage in the game. An eight-point run from Fenerbahce put them up by three, only for Sopron to slowly claw their way back throughout the third. The period ended with a last-second three from Angela Salvadores of Sopron, which once again tied the scores when the players went to the bench. With the stakes high and the game becoming more heated, scoring dried up early in the final period. A twelve point run then saw Fenerbahce go back into the lead, but Sopron were not done yet. Finding the best open looks, they kept the scores level down the stretch.
With 1:30 to go, Aleksandra Crvendakic made a buzzer-beating jumper and Yvonne Turner had four points of her own, putting the game out of reach for Fenerbahce. Winning 78-72, Sopron forced game three.
Aleksandra Crvendakic opened the deciding game with four unanswered points, only for Fenerbahce to respond with six unanswered of their own. Sopron challenged Fenerbahce on the low post, but with good early three-point shooting from Kelsey Plum and Ana Dabovic, Fenerbahce were looking good, and ended the first period up by four.
Sopron got back into it with great play in the field from Yvonne Turner, who led all scorers with 29 points, while Danielle Page was taking care of the outside game, making every single one of her attempts at basket on the way. Meanwhile, Kia Vaughn and Anastasiya Verameyenka were trying to keep Fenerbahce afloat as they suddenly found themselves on the back foot.
Finding good looks and stringing together small scoring runs, Sopron re-took the lead in the second quarter. Despite Fenerbahce’s numerous attempts at closing the gap, Sopron’s lead stood at nine at the end of three quarters. Fenerbahce completely fell apart in the fourth quarter - a free throw from Anastasiya Verameyenka and a layup from Ayse Cora were the only points they scored in the entire final period. This late slump would cost Fenerbahce their Euroleague season, as a 46-67 defeat to Sopron saw them eliminated while the Hungarian team move on to their first Final Four since 2009.
Sopron's victory completes the field in this year's Final Four. They will face Yakin Dogu in their semi final matchup, while the other semi final will be an all-Russian face off between Dynamo Kursk and Ekaterinburg. The Final Four will be played from April 20th to the 22nd. Until then, for the latest news and full stats on all games, visit the official Euroleague Women website.
