The FIBA European Cup Women’s playoffs commenced Wednesday with mixed results for czech clubs, as Žabiny Brno and KP Brno faced tough competition from their opponents. While KP Brno put up a fight against Kangoeroes mechelen, Žabiny Brno suffered a decisive loss to UMCS Lublin, signaling an uphill battle in the return legs scheduled for December 18. The frist round of matchups set the stage for a competitive playoff series as teams vie for advancement in the european tournament.
Žabiny Brno suffered a heavy 41-point defeat to UMCS Lublin on Wednesday, while KP Brno fell to Kangoeroes Mechelen in a closely contested matchup as the FIBA European Cup Women’s playoffs began.
UMCS Lublin dominated Žabiny Brno 92-51, after a competitive first quarter ended in a 17-17 tie. Lublin then pulled away decisively, outscoring Žabiny 33-9 in the second period and never looking back.
“We completely fell apart today in every aspect of the game,” said Žabiny assistant coach Michal Martišek in a team statement. “The first quarter was still playable, but the rest of the game was very poor. We were unable to cope with the physical play, which we knew was coming.”
Dragana Stankovičová led all scorers with 20 points and 8 rebounds for Lublin. Kennedy Brownová paced Žabiny with 11 points, while Shante Evansová added 10 points and 9 rebounds.
In the other matchup, KP Brno battled back from a 13-point first-half deficit against Kangoeroes Mechelen, even briefly taking a three-point lead in the third quarter. However, Mechelen quickly regained control and held on for a 72-66 victory.
American duo Kennedy Todd-Williamson and Javyn Nicholsonová powered Mechelen with 23 and 22 points respectively, also combining for 18 assists. Kateřina Galíčková led KP Brno with 15 points.
| FIBA European Cup Women Playoff Round 1 Results: |
|---|
| KP Brno – Kangoeroes Mechelen 66:72 (17:25, 29:38, 52:59) |
| Top scorers: Galíčková 15, Calvertová 11, Svatoňová, Žílová both 9 – Toddová-Williamsová 23, Nicholsonová 22, Kibediová 13. |
| Žabiny Brno – UMCS Lublin 51:92 (17:17, 26:50, 37:72) |
| Top scorers: Brownová 11, Evansová 10, Hamzová, Wadouxová both 7 – Stankovičová 20, Ryanová 19, Slocumová 17. |
| The return legs are scheduled for December 18. |
