The best player of the Czech champions was the German pivot Nyara Sabally, who recorded 19 points and ten rebounds. Australian Ezi Magbegorová was also close to this double-double with eleven points and nine rebounds. Not even 23 points from Ukrainian shooter Alina Jagupova helped the visiting team.
“It’s a great victory. Thanks to it, we’re first in the standings, but there are still a lot of matches left. Anyway, it’s a good step towards the playoffs,” said coach Natália Hejková after the match.
The Hejkovés won their fifth game in a row in the elite competition and are the only ones with a record of 6:1 in the group. Mersin avenged their semi-final defeat from last year’s Final Four (58:78). The Turkish team lost in the competition after five wins and remains second in the group.
“The team is still at the beginning. Training is one thing, but we need the players to perform what we want from them, even under stress. And they don’t have that stress in training. That’s why we need to keep playing. The potential is there anyway,” added Hejková .
The Czech champions led 4:2 in the beginning, but in the next five minutes they came up empty and the visiting players made it 13:4. Also, thanks to Marina Mabrey’s eleven points, the lead of the Turkish team increased to 11 points. In the end, the women from Prague lost, but lost the first quarter 14:21.
With the support of the packed Královka hall, USK tried to equalize in the second half, but did not get closer than a six-point deficit. After two three-pointers by Jagupova, Mersin regained the lead by eleven points, and USK corrected to 28:37 at the end of the half after a shot by María Conde.
“I expected it to be difficult and not as easy as in Bologna, where we surprised the opponent. In the first half, we were soft in defense and attack. Sometimes even naive. We explained it a little in the dressing room. Without shouting, we said to each other, that it’s not our game,” said Hejková
The Praguers, however, succeeded in starting the second half. Captain Teja Oblaková started the team with five points, and after other hits Magbegorová, Saballyová and Ayayiová tied the Czech champions at 41:41. The women from Prague won the third quarter 27:16 and went into the final part with a two-point lead.
“The beginning of the second half helped us, when the game took on a different face. And then it was a battle and basket after basket. The important thing was that there were more of our shooters than theirs. That’s what our team is about,” said Hejková.
The even fight ended in the last quarter. Mersin led after six points in a row 59:57, the home players responded with triples by Voracová and Magbegorová and turned it to 63:59. Under this condition, captain Oblaková fouled the home team and Mersin equalized at 63:63 two minutes before the end.
“My technical was also an interesting moment. After her, we got some fouls as well. I don’t know what I got her for, because I turned to my teammates and she (the referee) gave her back to me,” said Hejková.
In addition to Sabally, Maite Cazorla helped USK significantly in the end. The Spanish point guard took over for Oblak, scored four free throws out of a total of 15 points in the end and blocked the opponent’s last attempt at a turnover.
“This is the advantage of our team, that we also have Cazorla behind Teja. And Vyoralová was also ready. The most important thing was that we could change the second half and play with four tall players with one point guard. In the first half, we played with two small ones and we really enjoyed it it didn’t work. It’s great that we have a healthy team and these players available,” added Hejková.
2023-11-29 21:20:00
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