MUNICH (Germany) - A number of frontrunners for silverware all clocked up opening wins with big shows on Thursday night, while Anisha George went off for AEO Proteas Voulas to take them to a shock win against ACS Sepsi-SIC. The likes of LDLC ASVEL Feminin, Besiktas JK, Spar Girona and Sopron Basket were all victorious as they laid down a marker for the rest of the campaign.
Key Storylines
George unstoppable with monstrous performance efficiency valuation of 41 for AEO Proteas Voulas;
Fraser a difference-maker as Galatasaray post spectacular 32-point last quarter;
Trio of French clubs celebrate wins as Angers, Charnay and Tarbes all get it done;
Weekly Highs
Efficiency: Anisha George (AEO Proteas Voulas) - 41 Points: Anisha George (AEO Proteas Voulas) - 32 Rebounds: Laura Miskiniene (Polski Cukier AZS UMCS Lublin) - 17 Assists: Elena Tsineke (InvestInTheWest Enea Gorzow), Aina Ayuso (Hozono Global Jairis) - 11 Steals: Multiple players - 5 Blocks: Kamila Borkowska (MB Zaglebie Sosnowiec) - 5
Big guns fire first time; George posts career night
The intense scramble to finish top of the pile this season was underlined on Thursday night alone as many title hopefuls made statements in their first outings.
Besiktas JK beat Geas Basket on their travels by 63-49 after 2024 EuroCup Women winner Temi Fagbenle returned to action with 17 points and 14 boards.
Spar Girona also went on the road and did damage as they flew past BC Yerevan Foxes 112-57 as Borislava Hristova showed why she is a scoring machine after netting 21 points.
LDLC ASVEL Feminin sailed past SoleMare by the sea AEL 97-44 with Kekelly Elenga impressing with 18 points and 11 boards. Tea Cleante scored a fine 20 points and fellow young gun Juste Jocyte amassed 14 points and 6 assists.
In one of the best displays in memory, Anisha George recorded a performance efficiency valuation of 41 after a 32-point and 16-rebound show for AEO Proteas Voulas. To make it extra sweet, that was enough to take the Greek side past last year's EuroLeague Women competitors ACS Sepsi-SIC by 77-71.
Elsewhere, Sopron Basket caught the ambitious Bodrum Basketbol by surprise as they claimed a hard-fought 86-80 win on Turkish soil in an overtime battle. Stephanie Reid had an outstanding 26 points and 7 assists.
Go-time for Galatasaray and French flag flies high
Galatasaray Cagdas Factoring were laboring after three quarters against BAXI Ferrol but then erupted with a stunning 32-9 last period to storm their way to an 83-66 Group J win. Brianna Fraser was the centerpiece as the forward contributed an excellent 21 points and 7 rebounds.
Tarbes Gespe Bigorre were also similarly dominant as they strolled past Movistar Estudiantes 87-60 thanks mainly to Nigerian forward Murjanatu Musa who racked up 15 points and 11 boards, while Slovenian young gun Ajsa Sivka excelled with 16 points.
UFAB 49 impressed as they rode past Polski Cukier AZS Lublin by 92-69 as Ameryst Alston and Marine Dursus combined to sink 19 and 17 points respectively.
Charnay Basket celebrated their maiden win by defeating Piestanske Cajky in style. They overran their visitors 81-53 off the back of a team high 18 points from Mariama Daramy.
Elsewhere, two of the biggest displays came from MB Zaglebie Sosnowiec teammates Taylor Soule and Kamila Borkowska as they helped take down Kangoeroes Mechelen 88-55. The former had 28 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals, with Borkowska adding 12 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks.
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