Beaten the day before by a remarkable Bourges team (87-80), Galatasaray found the Berruyères tonight, in the rather strange format of the bubble of this group D, in Bourges. It was the qualifying match for the Turks, sent straight to the quarterfinals with a victory. Faced with the imposed impact and despite their great debauchery of energy the day before, the Berruyères were present defensively and aggressive in attack, in the wake of Elin Eldebrink, and took the lead at the end of the first quarter (14-16 ).
But the two teams remained neck and neck (22-20, 14th). However, Turkish domination on the rebound (13-24 at the break) and a few big award-winning shots from Epiphanny Prince or Asena Yalcin allowed Galatasaray to take a slight advantage at rest (38-35).
Despite a 5-0 inflicted by Bourges, at the start of the third quarter (41-45, 24th), we felt that it would not be easy to make a gap, the Turks always finding a solution to return to the match (47-47, 27e). The Berruyer collective was holding on. The award-winning address of Alexia Chartereau, the aggressiveness of Lætitia Guapo, Sarah Michel allowed Bourges to remain threatening. But it was then the great rod Mercedes Russell (1.98 m), by his activity in the racket, which helped Galatasaray to regain the leadership (54-49, 30th).
The Turks, much more present on the rebound (54-26 in the end!), Pressed the accelerator at the start of the last quarter, widening the first real gap of the match on an award-winning shot from Prince (59-49, 32nd). We could feel that Bourges was picking up and lacking success in attack, while the Russell-Prince duo drove the point home (64-51, 34th). In total confidence, the Turkish group unfolded (71-56, 38th) and, despite a last rush from Berruyer (71-65, 39th), consolidated a victory which eliminated the two French clubs from the group stage of the Euroleague.
Basket Landes was starting too far
The players of Basket Landes lost heavily to the Hungarians of Sopron (84-54) in Group D. A defeat which removes almost all chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals. Basket Landes has won only one match out of five and has a terrible point difference (- 83) in the event of a tie at three.
Asvel overtaken by Fenerbahçe
Earlier in the day, Asvel also bowed to Fenerbahçe (67-65) at the last second. The Ukrainian Alina Iagupova (18 points, 10 rebounds) reversed the game by stealing a ball from Marine Johannes to return the basket of victory. Asvel therefore loses first place in group B to the benefit of their opponent of the day, but that does not change their qualification, acquired since the victory over Prague (85-74).
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