Here’s what happened in the first games of the four EuroLeague Women quarterfinals:
Fenerbahçe Alagöz Holding (1-0) vs. Perfumerias Avenida (0-1), 98-91
With Emma Meesseman out with an ankle injury, the reigning EuroLeague champs were vulnerable and Avenida made the most of the opportunity to beat them. They played tough, gritty basketball. Despite Fenerbahçe at one point holding a 13-point lead, the Spaniards, following two consecutive 3-pointers made it a one-possession game with one and a half minutes to go. At that point, however, cooler heads prevailed and Napheesa Collier made an almost impossible fadeaway 2-pointer to regain the momentum for her team. Avenida’s comeback was fueled by Alexis Prince, who made some tough baskets and scored 22 points in total. The 29th pick of the 2017 WNBA Draft was not alone; Leonor Rodriguez had 17 points (3-of-5 from 3), while Arica Carter and Laura Gil held their own on the defensive end. However, it wasn’t enough to stop such an offensively talented team.
Fenerbahçe eventually won by seven, but they had to work hard for the win. Collier was great on both sides of the floor, finishing up with 21 points, nine rebounds and six steals. Fresh off taking Serbia to…
