Record breaking Stewie show takes Fenerbahce past Mersin to first title

PRAGUE (Czech Republic) - It was fifth time lucky for Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding as they beat CBK Mersin Yenisehir Bld 99-60 behind Breanna Stewart's brilliant 35 point effort to finally become champions.

The success came exactly 10 years after their first of four disappointments in the title game and they certainly got the job done with a dominant display led by Stewart's record breaking contribution.

Turning point: In reality, there wasn't one since Stewart engaged 'Beast Mode' early and took over the game by pouring in 22 points inside the first 12 minutes. That built a massive 20 point lead and Fenerbahce had no cause to look back as they coasted to their greatest night in the competition.

Game hero(es): Stewart claimed a sensational 35 points, with 26 of them having been banked as she headed to the locker room at half-time. She also added 6 rebounds and 3 asissts. The main cameo came from Kayla McBride who added 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Stats Don't Lie: Take your pick - this was ruthless stuff from Fenerbahce. But surely it has to be the number xxx which they held Mersin too - showing that it wasn't all about Stewart's headline act, but also some excellent defensive work.

Bottom line: Fenerbahce were favorites as always, but needed a confident start to put any nerves to the side. They got it and once they went in front, the confidence flowed and a comeback from Mersin never looked even a remote possibility. This was the 17th straight win this season and while Stewart grabbed the limelight, it was still a big team effort and especially defensively.

Marina Maljkovic had the talent and the depth at her disposal, but unlike last year in particular, she masterminded what the Turkish juggernauts craved. Fenerbahce were simply the best team in the competition and they showed it.

This was a bitter pill to swallow for CBK Mersin Yenisehir Bld since while not winning a title at their first Final Four might not exactly be a shock, the manner of the loss was grossly disappointing. They had a solid first few minutes but like so many other teams in past years at all levels, just couldn't live with the unguardable Stewart. However, they can still be hugely proud of the achievement of making the title game as a relatively newcomer to the tournament and second place can still be looked on as a big accomplishment. 

"I have been receiving messages from people who know a bit about basketball and they include Zeljko Obradovic and they said they have not watched a better game of offense and defense in 30 years. Imagine how I feel with this? It feels impresive. We had a difficult and demanding season. We had ups and downs. This Final was something totally different from the Semi-Finals, with a brilliant Stewie but also very important things from all other players on the team. Everybody did something and this is something that a coach can feel really great about. It was a great game." Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding head coach, Marina Maljkovic

"It was obviously disappointing. From the beginning Fenerbahce dictated the game and they did a good job at playing at the pace they wanted to. Stewie was a big part of that and we couldn't get ourselves out of a hole. Turkey has gone through a lot with athletes and families passing and relocating due to the earthquake. I think for a lot of us, we wanted to play with a lot of pride for the city of Mersin. We have pride in this club and hopefully we will use that to motivate us in the next couple of years." CBK Mersin Yenisehir Bld center, Elizabeth Williams

"It is not the best day of my life. But I said to my players I am very proud of them. We need time to understand what this medal means. This is still the biggest step for our club for the future in making the EuroLeague Women Final. It is always difficult and now we must keep moving forwrd and try to be here every year." CBK Mersin Yenisehir Bld head coach, Roberto Iniguez

FIBA