EuroLeague Women: Fenerbahçe dominates behind McBride, Allemand

Julie Allemand approached a triple-double, with 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Kayla McBride made four 3s on her way to a game-high 16 points. Already having advanced to the second round, the loss only hurts Valencia’s pride, not their standing in the competition.

Galatasaray likewise remained unscathed, although in much less comfortable fashion. Stubborn Carolo used a second-quarter surge to make Galatasaray have to fight to the finish for the 77-73 win. A Teja Oblak jumper with over a minute remaining proved to be the game-winning bucket. Kamiah Smalls again paced Galatasaray through most of the contest, shooting a stellar 7-for-8 from the floor as she scored a team-best 15 points. Dorka Juhász added 10 points and eight boards.

The third team that entered the week undefeated also maintained their perfection, as Girona escaped with an 83-78 win over defending champion Praha in a game that went down to the wire. A pair of late free throws and game-icing jumper from Justē Jocytē sealed the deal. Those were four of Jocytē‘s game-high 23 points, an effort that included four 3s and a spotless 7-for-7 performance from the line. Another Golden State Valkyrie, Laeticia Amihere, was key for Girona, contributing 18 points, 10 boards and four blocks; Amihere also swished three 3s.

The undefeated trio of Girona, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe lead Groups A, B and C, respectively. From Group A, Bourges and Praha also have advanced to the second round, with Schio and Carolo having punched their tickets from Group B. In Group C, only Valencia has advanced, leaving one spot for Week 5 opponents DVTK and Olympiacos.

After Olympiacos defeated DVTK in Week 2, the result was reversed on Wednesday, giving each club one win and six points in the group. DVTK pulled away in the fourth quarter without much stress, winning 87-63. They certainly benefitted from Kathryn Westbeld, who was not yet with the club in Week 2 and turned in her best EuroLeague Women game on Wednesday, with 26 points and nine rebounds.

In Group D, ÇBK Mersin failed to maintain any momentum they might have generated with last week’s win, falling to group-leader Basket Landes, 66-55. 21 points, including seven triples, from Julie Vanloo was not enough for Mersin, as Landes assumed control with a 14-point advantage in the third quarter. Along with Landes, Reyer has secured a second round berth from Group D, using a strong first half to defeat Casademont Zaragoza, 68-61. Reyer was powered by 20 points from Joyner Holmes and 15 from Kaila Charles. Zaragoza maintains a slight edge over Mersin in the group standings, with their seven points, compared to Mersin’s six, putting them in better position to become the third team from Group D to advance.