Canadians in EuroCup Women - Group Stage Review
A new EuroCup Women season saw two of Canadian's finest female basketball players - one new to the competition, the other in her second campaign - called into action for their clubs.
The format - altered due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic - saw teams in each group play each other once in a single location over the course of a week, instead of the home-and-away with regular intervals system of previous years.
This made the margin of error far smaller than normal, enough mistakes could mean an early exit for any team, making for what could be the most competitive season yet. Some of the action seen in the group games, particularly those competed in by Canadian players, would bear that out.
Aislinn Konig, Fribourg Olympic
Konig stunned in her EuroCup debut with a team-high 22 points against Landernau Bretange. Though the Swiss team did not have the best start, letting Bretange get away from them at the end of the first quarter, they hit back the following period. Nancy Fora would put Fribourg up by two just before half time, but it turned out that advantage would not last long.
Bretange took advantage of their opponents' scoring drought and went up by eight midway through the final period. It took Fribourg to the final two minutes to get to within a point of their opponents and the nerves started to show as neither side were able to get another shot off, with Fribourg remained one point behind.
The most dramatic moment was saved for last: Fora handed the ball off to Marielle Giroud who made the buzzer-beating jump shot, guaranteeing victory to Fribourg by a single point with a suitably dramatic end to this breathless start to Fribourg’s EuroCup campaign.
While their first game was one to remember, the following was one to forget. Reyer Venezia set the tone for game two by taking a 16-0 lead and even when Fribourg were finally able to get going, their best was far from what was needed for any chance at victory.
Outclassed in all areas on the night, Fribourg suffered heavy defeat, 116-63 at the hands of their Italian opponents. Konig managed just four points in the contest while Venezia saw six players reach double digits. Belgian team Phantom Baskets Boom was now all that stood in Fribourg's way of the last sixteen and they would need a victory in their final game.
Boom kept up the pressure early on, levelling the first quarter scores but never taking the lead. Fribourg found some rhythm in the second quarter, going ten points in the lead, only for Boom to close the gap to two points at half time. When the game resumed Fribourg restored their double-digit advantage and built a bigger and bigger lead as the game went on.
With 62 second-half points to just 24 from Boom, as well as picking up more second chance points as well as points in the paint, Fribourg rode home to an emphatic, forty-point victory. Konig was back to her high-scoring ways with 20 points in the contest, behind only Marielle Giroud with 26, in the 99-59 win which guaranteed second place in the group for the Swiss team - and a place in the next phase of competition.
Emily Potter, KP Brno
Brno had the added advantage of hosting Group E and, facing tough opposition from the three other teams in the group, that home advantage could make a big difference as they searched for a place in the knockout round.
In the opening game Potter totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds for Brno, who also saw a double-double from Renata Brezinova of 17 points and 10 boards. The hosts blitzed opponents Gorzow in the opening quarter, leading by as many as 15 points, but from then on the Polish club kept knocking on Brno’s door and in the fourth quarter it all came to a head.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough put Gorzow into the lead and a battle ensued to take control of the narrow score line. With just under two minutes left on the clock, Emily Potter made what would be the game-winning jump shot. With all remaining attempts at basket falling short for both teams, 72-70 would be the final result in favour of Brno.
They then looked set to take their second game against MBA Moscow, after leading for the first quarter, but the Russian club were quick to react and asserted their dominance in Q3, where their three-point shooters powered them into the lead.
After some long stretches of inactivity in the second half, Brno finally pulled their socks up at the business end - Holding Moscow’s score at 70 for eight minutes straight, they levelled the scores ahead of the final sixty seconds. Moscow held their nerve and an open look from Elena Kirillova and two free-throws from Alexandra Stolyar would seal the win for them.
Potter’s game-high 22 points along with 11 rebounds was small consolation in the narrow loss, 78 points to 72. Now sitting on one win and one loss, Brno’s EuroCup campaign hinged on beating the undefeated leaders of Group D, Elazığ İl Özel İdarespor. After a close start, Brno were then held to just seven points in the second quarter while their opponents went ten in front.
Once again doing all she could to try and lift her team, Potter scored 12 points, on of four Brno players to reach double digits and second behind Eva Kopecka with 15. The teams were evenly matched in a number of places, but Elazığ's superior defence would keep Brno at a distance through to the end of the game.
Led by Emma Cannon's 28 points and 13 rebounds, Elazığ out-muscled the Czech team to beat them 73-61, finishing the group with a perfect record and moving on to the last sixteen at Brno's expense. With the other three teams in the group all on a 1-2 record, it came down to the results between teams. Gorzow's higher scoring saw them advance on point differential, with third-place Brno going no further.
Despite all-around great performances, these results mean Emily Potter will make no further appearances in the EuroCup. Aislinn Konig and Fribourg, however, have set up a second-round tie with Group B winners Ramla. The Israei team have so far gone undefeated in the competition but that could all change when they face their next opponents on March 16th. That match-up will be covered here, until then more on every game can be found on the official EuroCup Women website.
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