CSKA Moscow Overcome Determined Sopron

CSKA Moscow trailed at home to MKB Euroleasing Sopron early in the fourth quarter but turned their game up a notch to win 81-77.

Wednesday's victory improved the Russian giants to 3-1 in Group B while dropping Sopron to 2-2.

Ann Wauters had a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds

Jelena Milovanovic drilled a jump shot at the start of the final period to put Sopron into a 62-57 advantage.

CSKA came back but still trailed 69-65 with 4:32 left after a three-pointer by Sopron's Edit Ratkainé.

Ilona Korstin made two free throws and Ann Wauters poured in two of her game-high 26 points to tie the game, only for Sopron to go back in front one last time thanks to another Ratkainé jump shot.

Big summer signing Janel McCarville replied with a lay-up to again pull CSKA level before Wauters twice split a pair of free throws and then hit a jumper with 45 seconds left for a 75-71 lead.

Ratkainé made one of two at the line to close the gap to three, but Sopron fouled Russia international Becky Hammon and she made both at the stripe to extend the lead back to five.

CSKA held on for a thrilling victory.

Wauters finished with a game-high 11 rebounds while Korstin had 15 points and six boards.

Kathleen MacLeod's 22 points led Sopron.

Quotes CSKA vs MKB Euroleasing

Gundars Vetra (CSKA head coach):

"It was hard tonight but such games make you stronger. I hope that games like this one and the last game against Dynamo in the Russian Championship will make the team better. Our next two games against Vologda and in Venice won't be easy. Our group is really balanced, just take Riga's win over Brno tonight as an example.

We know that we have our strengths and weaknesses and we know what we still have a lot of work to do. Such games help us to feel more confident at the end of the season in important games."

Janel Mc Carville (CSKA center):

"We are happy that we won. It was an ugly game for us but we hit shots and got stops when it really mattered. We will work hard in the next couple of days to improve our game."

Norbert Székely (MKB Euroleasing head coach):

"It was a great game and I think we played excellent. We had a chance to win the game but we are a very young team and we lost four players during the game because of injury and foul trouble. I'm really disappointed that we lost but at the same time I feel proud of my team. Every game is different but we have to believe that we can win games like this."

Kathleen MacLeod (MKB Euroleasing guard):

"We played very well but I'm really disappointed that we didn't win. CSKA are a very experienced team they made their shots at the end of the game."