Salamanca (Spain) – USK Prague's basketball players are waiting for the second quarter-final of the European League on the board of Salamanca today. The Czech national team won the first game at home 77:56. The match, in which the Czech pivot Julia Reisingerová will again play for the Spanish team, will start at 20:30 CET.
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“We're happy to win the first game, but we don't take it like it ended by 21 points. It's only 1-0 for the games and that difference means nothing. The next game starts at 0-0 and all we have is is the advantage of one victory. We have to refocus on the rematch and go into it fully,” coach Natália Hejková told Radiožurnál after the first match.
The main star of the opening match was American pivot Brionna Jones, who collected 18 points and 13 rebounds. Valériane Vukosavljevičová (16) and Alyssa Thomasová with María Condeová (both 13) also had double-digit points.
“Brionna plays great. She gives it her all and deserves it. We play it so that she can get under the basket. I hope that she will do even better in the next match,” said captain Teja Oblaková. “It will be completely different in Salamanca. It will be difficult to play there and there will be a lot of fans there. We have to concentrate from the beginning, once again give everything and go for victory,” added the Slovenian point guard.
The Czech champions failed in Salamanca last year and lost in the basic group 75:85. The last time they triumphed on the board of a Spanish opponent was eight years ago (50:48). The national team center pivot Reisingerová will try to even the quarterfinal series, as she scored 11 points and six rebounds in the first game. Her teammate Maite Cazorla scored one more point.
“It will definitely be full. We have a big enough fan base and they enjoy the matches in the Euroleague. It will be sold out and I believe the spectators will create a good atmosphere. I wouldn't call it hell , but there will be a good atmosphere,” Reisinger said.
USK can make it to the Final Four for the sixth time in history. The women from Prague achieved their greatest success in 2015, when they won the competition. Last year they were fourth, after losing to Salamanca in the fight for third place. “The opponent will play even harder at home, with more heart and will be driven by the spectators, who are very uncomfortable there,” stated Hejková.
The winner of the match between USK and Salamanca will face Mersin in Turkey or Bourges in France in the semi-finals . Mersin leads 1:0 after the first match and will also face revenge on the opponent's field.
