After a pair of qualifying games determined the last team to play in the group stage, the main portion of the competition started this week with games spread across Wednesday and Thursday. The 32 teams were divided roughly geographically with 16 teams from the more eastern half of Europe split among Groups A through D. Group E through H consisted of 16 teams from the more western half of Europe. In this round, each teams plays a six game double round robin schedule. The top two teams in each group will advance to the next round.
Group A:
On Wednesday, Turkey’s Adana grabbed an easy 87-62 win over Slovakia over Piestanke Cajky. On Thursday, the experience of Besiktas paid off in Istanbul as their Russian visitors from Spartak Moscow, a young team looking to rebuild towards past glory, managed to hang tough before losing 76-66
Piestanke Cajky vs. Adana Aski 62-87 PIE Parker 19 Engelmann 14 Oroszova 3 ADA Nacickaite 27 Williams 23 De Souza 8/10r Zahui B 8 Campbell 7
Besiktas JK vs. Sparta&k Moscow Region 76-66 BES Pondexter 21 Grishaeva 16/6r Ivankovic 15/13r Ivegin 11/6r SPA Kolosovskaia 14 Vadeeva 10 Meesseman 8/12r
Group B:
One of the most exciting games of the week took place in Sweden as Dynamo Moscow visited Umea and escaped with an 87-84 overtime win. The next day, TTT Riga, the final team in the field after they won the qualifier, proved that it belonged as they welcomed Turkey’s Orduspor to Latvia and won 75-69.
Udominate vs. WBC Dynamo 84-87 (OT) UDO Mershon 25/7a Nordstrom 12/6r Lukavocicova 12/6r Gross 11/7r Aili 11 Brown 4 Kabengano 3 Paligoric 0 DYN Tikhonenko 24/15r Fedorenkova 18 Burik 17 Dorosheva 15
TTT Riga vs. Orduspor 75-69 TTT Mann 21/6r/6a Carter 19 Melnika 12/9r Krastina 11/6r/6a Priede 4 Eglite 0 ORD Milovanovic 20 Moss 18 Vandersloot 15 Kavurmacioglu 11 Krivacevic 5 Lemberger 0
Group C:
Both games in the group were on Thursday. In Turkey, Edirnespor survived a tough challenge from Russia’s Enisey to win 70-68 thanks to great performances from Washington Mystics’ teammates Stefanie Dolson and Ivory Latta. The other Russian team in the group was at home as Chevakata welcomed Belarus’s Tsmoki-Minsk to Vologda and prevailed 65-58.
Edirnespor vs. Enisey 70-68 EDI Dolson 22/18r Latta 19/6a Jovanovic 13 ENI Mayombo 16 Pasynkova 12 Gogiya 11 Romanova 10 Hamson 6/7r
Chevakata vs Tsmoki-Minsk 65-58 CHE Petrushina 17 B. Jones 14 Steinberga 11/12r TSM Paugaite 20/9r Murauskaya 16/8r A. Jones 12
Group D:
This group had both games on Thursday as well. In Turkey, Istanbul University got a tougher than expected test from Dunav of Bulgaria, but eventually pulled away to win 83-71. Lulea won at home in Sweden 82-71 over Russia’s Energia Ivanovo.
Istanbul Universitesi vs. Dunav 8806 83-71 IST Cado 25 White 16 Mircheva 13/9r Williams 13/8r DUN Dimitrova 18/6r Sharenkapova 13 Kostova 11/9r/7a Brooks 9 Brandon 7/12r
Lulea BBK vs. Energia Ivanovo 82-71 LUL Vesterberg 20/8r Vanloo 15 Barthold 10/14r Nystrom 10/10r Bussey 10 Hamilton 9 Boyd 0 IVA Grigoreva 19 Hammonds 17 Medvedeva 17
Group E:
This was the only group to have both games on Wednesday. Perennial German powerhouse Wasserburg went to Hungary and jumped on Pecsi early for a 70-55 win. In France, Nantes Reze hosted Italy’s Reyer Venezia and held on to a 74-65 win.
Pinkk Pecsi 424 vs. TSV 1880 55-70 PIN Gemes-Sarok 15 Tunstull 13/9r Vucetic 11/7r Hand 6/7r WAS Lucet 20/8r Raincock-Ekunwe 18/13r Peddy 12/7s Brunckhorst 10 Sten 0
Nantes Reze vs. Reyer Venezia 73-65 NAN Casas 26/6r/6s Putnina 12/6r Plouffe 11/9r MacKay 11 REY Christmas 14 Fontenette 13 Pan 10
Group F:
On Wednesday, Landes welcomed Swiss side Fribourg to France and won 81-67. On Thursday, action shifted to the Czech Republic, where Nymburk beat Peac-Pecs 82-68.
Landes vs. Elfic Fribourg 81-67 LAN Plagnard 18 Sliskovic 12/11r Barennes 11 Guzman 11 Basko-Melnbarde 10 Ayim 9 FRI Davis 26/8a Correal 14 Santiago 12/14r Rol 10
Nymburk vs. Peac-Pecs 82-68 NYM Kuster 22/8r/7a Siksniute 19/9r Bartakova 12/8a Taylor 12 PEA Zele 18 Parks 14/6a
Group G:
Hungary’s Miskolc made the trip to the Czech Republic on Wednesday, edging Valosun Brno 77-73. The first look at a more full roster for Napoli ended in a win as the Italian team went to the Netherlands and beat Orange Blizzards 72-63. Instead of a club team that plays the entire season together, the Dutch outfit is made up of players from different clubs in the league, allowing homegrown players the opportunity to play against tougher competition.
Valosun KP Brno vs. Aluinvent Miskolc 73-77 VAL Vlkova 20 Sanford 16/6r Sujanova 15/6r Adamcova 10 ALU Brewer 20/8r Horti 15/6r Czank 11 Rasheed 11 Szecsi 4 Strange 0
Orange Blizzards vs. DIKE Napoli 63-72 ORA Broring 13 Bettonvil 11/8r Butter 11 NAP Ivezic 18 Achonwa 15/9r Burdick 13/6r Petronyte 12/8r Quinn 8/6r
Group H:
In a group with two Thursday games, Portugal’s Sportiva went to Hungary and upset a Gyor team that has a much longer European history 76-67. The week’s action closed with an extremely exciting game as Angers welcomed Belgium’s Namur to France and had to come back from a large deficit to force overtime, eventually winning 88-84 in front of the home fans.
Uni Gyor vs. Sportiva Azores Airlines 67-76 UNI Radocaj 21 Grigalauskyte 15/10r/8a Goree 15/7r SAZ Bruner 23/12r Mendes 19 Wallace 15/6r Ivanovic 12/6r/7a
UFAB 49 vs. Namur 88-84 (OT) UFA Hendrickx 18/7r Aleksandravicius 15/10r Egnell 12 Murphy 11/6r Mane 10 Bernies 10 NMR Orekhova 25 Traore 21/9r Deneil 15/6r Sissoko 11/9r