Gdynia Turn Back Late Tarbes Comeback Attempt

Tarbes threw a late scare into Lotos Gdynia on Thursday night but the Polish team held on for a 73-68 victory in EuroLeague Women Group D.

The game was tight for the first three quarters.

Gdynia, playing in front of their own fans, snapped a 49-49 tie late in the third frame with consecutive baskets from Ivana Matovic and stayed on top the rest of the way.

Jacek Winnicki's team went on to open a 12-point advantage with 5:38 remaining in the game and looked to be headed for a certain victory but French juggernauts Tarbes, who scraped an 81-80 win over Szeviép last week, fought back.

Tarbes went on an 11-3 run, capped by Charde Houston's three-point play, and closed the gap to 67-64 with 1:06 to play.

The visitors fouled Paulina Pawlak and the Poland international sank two free-throws for a five-point cushion  with 53 seconds left.

After Pauline Jannault missed from behind the arc, Tarbes' France national team center Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehoui grabbed the offensive rebound and scored shortly after.

Tarbes fouled Emilija Podrug with 15 seconds left and the Poland national team forward made both shots from the stripe to restore the five-point advantage.

Isis Arrondo scored quickly at the other end with a jumper for Tarbes, but the visitors had to foul Pawlak and she made two more free-throws for the final score.

Shameka Christon had a team-high 19 points for Lotos, with Matovic contributing 16 and Erin Phillips 14.

Houston's 19 points led Tarbes, who also got 15 from Sweden international Frida Eldebrink.

Lotos struggled inside the arc, making 14 of 34 (41.1%), but they shot eight of 16 from three-point range and also sank 21 of 27 at the free-throw line.

Tarbes were 25 of 48 from two-point range but only four of 17 from behind the three-point line.

They also made just six of 13 at the line.

Quotes Lotos Gdynia vs. Tarbes GB

Jacek Winnicki, Lotos Gdynia Head Coach:

"It was a very tough game. We had a big problem before this game because Erin Phillips and Ivana Matovic, our main players, were sick and spent the last few days in bed. We tried to play tough in defence and we did it, except in the first quater. It wasn't our best basketball but we won and that's why I am proud of my team."

Paulina Pawlak, Lotos Gdynia:

"In the last seconds were very nervous and excited but we didn't allow them to win this game. Tarbes team tried to play physically, as close to the basket as possible. Sometimes we had little problems in the three seconds zone. We won because we had a good three-point percentage and we played good defence. We also had 17 assist - it means that teamwork was our advantage today."

Francois Gomez, Tarbes GB Head Coach:

"We are very happy that we can play against such big, titled and famous club as Lotos Gdynia. We lost because we missed too many three-pointers and free throws. If you don't score, you will not win a game. It's easy. We lost our aggressiveness."

Frida Eldebrink, Tarbes GB:

"We are very sad because we believed that we could win. We missed a lot of easy shots. This is the reason of our failure."