EuroCup Women Quarter-Finals preview: Tuesday 7 March

MUNICH (EuroLeague Women) – It's the first leg of the EuroCup Women Quarter-Finals as the arrival of four EuroLeague Women clubs adds even more quality to the competition.

One of those teams is ESBVA-LM, who are chasing down a third-straight EuroCup Women Final, having won the coveted silverware in 2015 - prior to then losing it to domestic rivals Tango Bourges Basket last year.

Their match-up against Yakin Dogu Universitesi looks like the standout tie on paper, with ESBVA-LM coach Frederic Dusart relieved to be in a position to strike towards more success after only sealing their place on the last day of the EuroLeague Women Regular Season.

"We could have been out of the race for the EuroCup Women," stated the play-caller.

"I was very satisfied we qualified, but we feel a mix of frustration and satisfaction after what happened in EuroLeague Women.

"We could have won the first game at home against Bourges and there were two other games that we also dropped, but there were many satisfactions.

"And, with six wins, we still made it our best season of the club in EuroLeague Women."

His counterpart Zafer Kalaycioglu led Yakin Dogu Universitesi to a historical Turkish Cup success at the weekend and accepted that their meteoric rise in all competitions will be put to the test against ESBVA-LM.

He said, "I congratulate my team already because we reached our first objective, which was coming back from a loss [in the Round of 8] and qualifying for this stage.

"But now we understand the competition gets much harder with a EuroLeague Women team ready to play us." 

While Yakin Dogu celebrated, Galatasaray, Bellona Agu and Hatay all now have to pick themselves up from their Turkish Cup woes to focus on their respective Quarter-Final ties.

Galatasaray have still not lost in EuroCup Women and were humbled 78-62 against Yakin Dogu last week.

They travel to Good Angels Kosice for the first leg and will have to take care of the all-action Slovenian playmaker Teja Oblak, in what looks like a great match-up with both Isil Alben and Moriah Jefferson.

Meanwhile, Bellona Agu lost the Turkish Cup Final by a similarly comprehensive 77-61 buffer and they go to current French League leaders BLMA.

Hatay BSB go to Wisla Can-Pack with the hosts reeling from a Polish League loss at the weekend and the visitors looking to get back on track after a Turkish Cup Quarter-Finals exit at the hands of Fenerbahce.

EuroCup Women Quarter-Finals:

Good Angels Kosice v Galatasaray
Wisla Can Pack v Hatay BSB
BLMA v Bellona Agu
ESBVA v Yakin Dogu Universitesi

FIBA