USVO Through To Final Four

US Valenciennes are through to the Final Four, but they were taken all the way to the wire in their second game with MKB Euroleasing Sopron before eventually winning 74-69.

Having breezed to a 92-55 win in the opening match, this looked like being a formality for the 2002 and 2004 winners, but MKB had other ideas and were desperately close to forcing overtime.

MKB's American point guard Nikki Teasley made consecutive lay-ups as the game moved into the final minute to bring the Hungarians within two points at 70-68.

But Ivana Matovic then twice missed jumpers before Kristi Harrower sank two free throws for USVO to give them a four point lead with 21 seconds remaining.

Teasley got one back from the charity stripe with 10 seconds on the clock, but when her second free throw missed, MKB's chance had gone and USVO put an exclamation point on it with two more free throws from Harrower with one second left.

Harrower was perfect from the line with seven of seven, and she made six of seven from the floor including one from behind the arc to lead USVO with 20 points and six rebounds.

Sandrine Gruda had 14 points and seven rebounds while Slobodanka Tuvic also hit double figures with 12 points.

It had been a tight match throughout, but both teams had enjoyed 10 point leads. A jumper from Astou Ndiaye had put MKB 45-35 up with 56 seconds left in the first half, but USVO had fought back and when Sandra Le Drean sank the second of two free throws early in the fourth quarter, they led 62-52 before MKB's late rally.

MKB's Teasley equalled Harrower's 20 points, while Matovic (13), Reka Cserny (12) and Katalin Honti (10) also made it into double figures.