MUNICH (Germany) - It was a landmark night for Villeneuve d'Ascq LM as they made the EuroCup Women Final for a third time with a win-double against Sopron Basket, while this season's newcomers BAXI Ferrol took a Final ticket at their first attempt.
This season's rookies eliminated EuroCup Women frontrunners LDLC ASVEL Feminin despite a loss on French soil, advancing courtesy of last week's huge home victory.
The Finals will take place across two legs and will be played on Wednesday, March 26 and Wednesday, April 02.
Daily Highs
Efficiency: Dominique Malonga (LDLC ASVEL Feminin) - 32 Points: Laura Quevedo (LDLC ASVEL Feminin) - 23 Rebounds: Dominique Malonga (LDLC ASVEL Feminin) - 18 Assists: Julie Pospisilova (BAXI Ferrol) - 5 Steals: Multiple Players - 3 Blocks: Dominique Malonga (LDLC ASVEL Feminin) - 3
Villeneuve complete Sopron double for another Final appearance
Having won on their road trip to Hungary last week in the first leg of the Semi-Final, Villeneuve d'Ascq LM finished the job in the second meeting with a hard-fought 54-46 triumph that handed them a 127-112 aggregate win.
In a defensively-dominated encounter, they kept their opponents at arms' length and were again grateful to another impressive effort from Aminata Gueye.
The forward came to the party again and finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while young Carla Leite continued to enhance her growing reputation with a 15-point haul.
Too little, too late for ASVEL as Ferrol make more history
ASVEL completed a 74-63 second leg Semi-Finals success against Ferrol after a dominant display from teenage sensation Dominique Malonga, but still exited the competition 156-136 on aggregate. Losing the first leg by an eye-popping 31 points, it always looked like a mountain for the French side and so it proved.
That was despite Malonga finishing the contest with a big double-double of 22 points and 18 rebounds, as well as Laura Quevedo harvesting 23 points and 10 boards.
Ferrol were fuelled by Claire Melia and Blanca Millan again, with the duo sharing 26 points and making sure their team kept rolling and didn't reach the danger zone of giving up a huge first leg advantage.
FIBA