Determined Dumerc Drives Bourges To Win At UMMC

Revenge is sweet, especially when coming back from a 16-point deficit early in the second half.

That's what Bourges will be thinking after the French giants knocked UMMC Ekaterinburg from the ranks of the unbeaten on Wednesday in the EuroLeague Women with a 64-62 triumph in Russia.

Having lost the first encounter by a single point at home, Pierre Vincent's team travelled to Russia declaring they had nothing to lose against Ekaterinburg, who boast a squad full of international stars like Penny Taylor

Sandrine Gruda led UMMC Ekaterinburg with 14 points and eight rebounds.

Celine Dumerc, who had just gotten over a foot injury and scored only six points in the first clash, tore apart UMMC on this occasion with 19 points, including the go-ahead tap-in with 17 seconds remaining.

Dumerc, the France international playmaker, was fouled on the play and made the free three for what would prove to be the final score.

Vincent's team still had to survive a nervous finish.

Poland international Agnieszka Bibrzycka, a member of Spartak Moscow Region's EuroLeague title-winning side last year, attempted a shot from behind the arc but missed.

Russia's EuroBasket Women gold medalist Natalia Vodopyanova grabbed the offensive rebound, but while trying to pass to an open teammate, she had the ball swiped by none other than Dumerc.

It was the 20th turnover of the game for Ekaterinburg and probably their biggest as it ended their hopes.

Sonja Kireta weighed in with 17 points for Bourges, who improved to 5-4 and kept alive their hopes off beating Wisla Can-Pack Krakow to second place.

Wisla face Jolly JBS Sibenik on Wednesday and then travel to France to meet Bourges in their Group B finale next week - a game that could decide which team finishes second and takes home-court advantage in the eighth-final play-offs.

The situation looked grim for the Bourges players when Bibrzycka opened the second half with a jump shot to give the hosts their biggest lead at 38-22.

Bourges charged back into the game before the end of the quarter,  though.

Gruda made two free throws to give Ekaterinburg a 44-30 lead but Dumerc, who had just buried a three-ball, replied with a couple of shots at the line of her own.

Starting with those free throws, Bourges would end up outscoring Ekaterinburg 14-5 to end the period.

Laurent Buffard's Ekaterinburg were able to open up a seven-point advantage early in the final quarter, yet Bourges refused to give in and eventually pulled level at 57-57 on another Dumerc tap-in with 2:58 to play.

They would not have the lead, however, until Dumerc soared in with 17 seconds for the go-ahead tap.

Bourges won despite turning the ball over 22 times.

Kireta, the Croatia national team center, dominated the boards, grabbing 11 rebounds.

Bibrzycka had a team-high 15 points in defeat for Ekaterinburg while Gruda scored 14 and Taylor 12.

Ekaterinburg have already clinched first place in Group B, but now they have a dent in their armor.

Only CSKA Moscow, who played later on Wednesday, and Ros Casares, who clash with TEO Vilnius in Lithuania on Thursday, remained unbeaten.